A Family Affair
by NightLark
Summary: 3x05: Klaus manages to kidnap Elena from the hospital and resurrects his siblings. Elena becomes the newest member of one extremely dysfunctional family. Elena/Elijah, Elena/Klaus, Elena/Kol, Elena/Finn.
1. Preface

"_So the doppelganger isn't the problem, her blood is the solution?" said Rebekah, seated on the car bonnet._

"_Seems so." Said Klaus, shortly._

"_How did you know?" she tilted her head, watching him._

"_You remember how much the original witch hated me. Did you honestly think I'd do anything but the opposite of what she said?"_

"_A thousand years in the grave and she's still screwing with you."_

"_Ahh, it makes sense if you think about it from her perspective. It was her failsafe in case I ever broke the hybrid curse. The doppelganger had to die in order for me to become a hybrid but if she was dead..."_

"_Then you couldn't use her blood to sire yourself a new species."_

"_Leaving me alone for all time." He looked down, unwilling to meet his sister's eye._

"_Is that what this is about? Your obsession with hybrids? You just don't want to be alone?"_

"_What I want, is to take my girl, take my hybrid and get the hell out of this one pony town." He turned away for a moment before turning back. "You know why don't you get the truck? I'll get Elena." Rebekah silently slid of the car bonnet, annoyed by his swift dismissal but for once to airing her grievances, and walked off in the direction of the truck. Klaus watched her go, relieved that his instructions hadn't sparked another argument from his baby sister, before heading into the hospital, up to the room where he'd left the doppelganger. The nurse was still there, dutifully collecting the blood into bags for him. He thanked her and collected it. There was enough for now. He could always get more from her later after all, he told himself before picking up the sleeping doppelganger and carrying her out to the waiting truck. Rebekah watched him place the unconscious girl in the back, tucking her under his jacket with an almost tenderness in his actions. She felt resentment flicker inside of her at the gesture. Why was she never enough? Why did he always need to seek out more?_

_Neither sibling spoke as Klaus directed the truck to the road and out of Mystic Falls._

* * *

I woke up in unfamiliar surroundings, dizzy and very disorientated. My head felt like I'd been hit with a truck and everything inside it had fallen out, giving me both a headache and light headedness simultaneously. I winced, wishing away the pain, and tried to concentrate. I was staring up at a raised ceiling with a large crystal chandelier in the centre. I tried to sit up but couldn't. I felt panic begin to set in but I forced myself to remain calm and assess the situation. I systematically tested each of my limbs to make sure they worked and to try and identify the source of lack of movement. They were heavy but responsive which brought me to the conclusion that I was restrained rather than paralysed or anything else like that. This knowledge didn't help quell my panic though, rather it increased it. I tried to work out where I was. The last thing I remembered was the hospital... taking my blood. Klaus had wanted it for his hybrids. The nurse... she'd sedated me. After that everything had gone black until now. None of that really helped me work out where I was and all I had to go on to gauge my location was a ceiling, an over the top light fixture and whatever the hard surface I was lying on belonged to. I realised, when I attempted to move again, that I was missing the comforting presence of fabric against my skin. I lifted my head as much as I was able and saw a bare stretch of skin, only broken by some form of binding. I was naked. And tied up. On, at a guess, a dining room table. Fuck. This was not good, at all.  
As I struggled to come to terms with what was happening, I became aware of voices nearby, talking softly but getting louder as they got closer to me.

"See?" said a soft British accent behind my head. "I told you I heard her wake up." I strained my neck, trying to see who was speaking, without much luck. I couldn't see anything. Whoever it was, was stood just out of my field of vision. By the sound of it, they were male and from his words, I suspected they were a vampire as well. Which, considering the number of times I'd been abducted, tormented and terrorized by the species, wasn't too great a stretch of the imagination.

"Yes, brother, well done," said a nauseatingly familiar voice. Klaus. I groaned and closed my eyes, hoping that this would all dissolve back into nothing, I'd wake up in the hospital and this would turn out to be some horrible nightmare. Or at least that Klaus would go away and leave me in peace for a while. I'd rather not have him around but if I had to, I wanted to at least be fully within my senses. He really didn't help my headache. He chuckled softly, clearly seeing my ploy. "I'm not going anywhere, love." I kept my eyes closed anyway. It was probably foolish and, when dealing with a vampire, it was probably smarter to have what limited senses I had fully available but I couldn't handle it right now. If I saw him, I wouldn't be able to keep my panic at bay and I would scream. Or cry. Or throw up. Or all three. Not really the impression of pseudo bravery I wanted to give to the immortal. Although, throwing up might repulse him enough to send him away, I considered.

"I don't think she's pleased to see you Nik," said the first voice, the one I didn't know.

"It would seem so. Do you think she'll be pleased to see you Elijah?" At the name, my eyes snapped open and frantically darted around, searching. I considered Elijah an ally, despite his betrayal during the sacrifice. I understood his reasoning behind it. His loyalty was to his family above all else, as was mine and as it should be. I accepted that. His disappearance hurt a little, but I didn't think he'd intended to leave us. Maybe, if he was here, perhaps he could help me! Or at least explain what was going on and ease my panicking heart before it gave out completely.  
There was the sound of laughter from the assembled group at my eager searching. I couldn't tell how many people there were but definitely more than Klaus and his friend who had spoken. Elijah's face moved into my field of vision briefly, impossibly handsome and reserved as always. I couldn't help but be reassured by his presence. Even if he'd come at me, fangs out and eyes veiny I wouldn't have panicked… as much as with another vampire. He just had a calm demeanour about him. It was impossible to think that he and Klaus were brothers.

"Hello Elena," he said quietly, face blank, no quirk of the lips or movement of those arched eyebrows like every other time. Then he retreated from my line of sight as if ashamed to let me look at him too long. I wondered if he felt bad about betraying us. But that thought was quickly pushed aside by more pressing issues circulating my mind, like what was going on here, why I was tied up and where my clothes were.

"Well since our guest of honour is awake, we should begin. Firstly, introductions." Said Klaus. I felt hands on my head and I struggled weakly at the touch, which proved futile and went ignored by the surrounding company. "You know Elijah already Elena, intimately if I'm not mistaken." He twisted my head painfully so my eyes landed on Elijah, who was leaning on a chair, eyes averted from me. He jerked his hand slightly in acknowledgement of the introduction. Seated in the chair he was leant on was the blonde girl Klaus had brought to the school with him. Rebekah. "You briefly met my sister earlier. However, first impressions are rarely accurate and I can assure you she is in fact... ten times worse." Rebekah let out an affronted noise at the comment but Klaus ignored it, carrying on, and twisted my head the other way, making my eyes water with the force and the continued pain of my headache. I blinked away the tears so I could see. Two men came into view, one excitable and young looking with unruly caramel hair, the other with a bored, impassive expression on his face and neat, dark locks.

"My brothers, Kol and Finn you've not had the pleasure of meeting yet. They've only recently been restored to existence." The daggered brothers. I couldn't help but be curious about them. Were they like Klaus… or Elijah? Surely Elijah wouldn't have wanted to bring them back so desperately if they were as villainous as the brother he despised?

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine," said the younger one, who I could now identify as the owner of the first voice I'd heard. The other didn't speak, just inclined his head slightly in my direction. My head was sharply twisted again so my eyes were staring up into Klaus', locked into his intense, consuming gaze. I resisted the urge to close my eyes again. I had a feeling if I did, he'd just pry them open. He enjoyed making me uncomfortable.

"Now the introductions are complete, we can start the ritual. Bring in the witch." I heard footsteps as someone left, presumably to fetch the aforementioned witch. I was struggling to control my fear which had flared up at the mention of the witch. A witch meant magic. Vampires I could handle. I mean, they compel, they bite, and they kill. If you met a vampire, it was an easy assumption what would happen. With a witch, there was no certainty. Anything could be about to happen. What were they planning to do with me?!

"I must say Nik, it was incredibly unfair for you to hog the delicious doppelganger so long." Said the younger one, Finn or Kol I wasn't sure which was which.

"It's not my fault Kol, blame it on Elijah." Said Klaus. Kol then. Finn was clearly the more resigned one.

"I was merely keeping her safe until she could serve her purpose, brother." Said Elijah coldly. At his words, I started to thrash, anger fuelling my actions. I struggled against Klaus' hold, curse words flying from my lips. I'd thought he was an honourable man, a true, loyal man but he wasn't. I was wrong. He was a liar, a traitor. He always had been and I'd been a fool to trust him.

"Oooh, she's a fiery one isn't she?" said Kol with delight and amusement at my anger. I felt a hand skim my throat and snarled at him as best I could, trying to twist my head in an attempt to bite him. I knew it would only make him angry or at least mildly annoyed and do very little damage but I wanted to hurt something! "Awww, what's the matter darling? Don't you like me?" He continued his path down over my shoulder, inching towards my exposed breasts. His hand stopped sharply before he got there, as if he'd been grabbed and restrained from further movement. There was no sound accompanying the halted action to indicate what had caused it but for whatever the reason, I was thankful for it. I stayed tense however, unable to let the relief permeate my body.

"It's not you that's got her riled up Kol," said Rebekah. "See that look on her face? That is the look of complete and utter betrayal. I know it well." Did I detect pain in her voice? I felt a slight twinge of sympathy for the girl. "She actually thought Elijah liked her. Pitiful isn't it?" Ok, sympathy gone. I fell still and took deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. I couldn't let them get to me. Yes, Elijah's betrayal hurt but I had to focus on the bigger picture. I had to concentrate on surviving the situation in the best shape I could, not petty grudges against stupid lying vampires that would only lead to damage that would hinder any escape attempt I made.

"Excuse me? Are you finished antagonizing the doppelganger or should I bring the witch back later?" said an unfamiliar voice which I assumed belonged to the last brother, Finn. It was an easy guess even if he hadn't been the only voice I'd yet to hear. He sounded very apathetic about the situation, voice matching his expression, clearly bored by his siblings' antics. I wasn't surprised. If they were all vampires, he'd probably seen them act this way many times before in the past and had long ago lost his tolerance for such behaviour. I barely knew them and my tolerance was already wearing thin. Mind you, the chains were probably a contributing factor to that.

"Oh no, we're about done." Said Klaus. "Hands off Kol, save it for later." I guessed he was what had stopped Kol's exploration. Strange, I hadn't taken him for the respectful type. Kol grumbled but his hands disappeared. A woman with dark skin moved across my line of vision and pushed Klaus out of the way, replacing him behind my head. The siblings surrounded me and I felt hands start to rest on my bare skin. I couldn't tell which was which, apart from Rebekah's obviously female hands, who was by my legs.

"GET OFF ME!" I shrieked, struggling with an almighty fury, trying to pull away from their hands, but the limited space meant I only succeeded to collide with one when I pulled away from another.

"She's a screamer. I knew it." Said Kol. I could practically hear the smirk in his voice. I hated it. He was drawing amusement from my suffering, the sick bastard. Now him, I could easily believe he was related to Klaus. They were very similar.

"We need her silent for the ritual," said Finn.

"Anything you can do? She's irritating." Said Rebekah. My cries were suddenly cut off. I tried to speak but couldn't. Every time, the words stuck in my throat and made me splutter and gag. I stopped trying after realising just how futile an effort it was. I had no desire to choke on my own tongue.

"Aww, that's a shame. I enjoy them loud."

"Kol, shut up. We're ready when you are, Gwen." Said Elijah's voice. A knife was passed over my head, along with a bowl, and I flinched. Magic was bad enough but magic that involved sharp objects was worse. Why was it that every damn spell seemed to involve my blood? Whatever happened to eye of newt and toe of frog and all that stuff?!  
I wanted to close my eyes but I decided I'd rather see what was going on as much as possible, even if I couldn't defend myself. There was a soft hiss of pain, and I felt dampness dripping on my skin. I guessed that one of the gathered vamps had cut their hands and the blood was dripping on me. Eww. Gross. Technically I shouldn't be complaining since, at least, it wasn't my blood that was being shed but still… nasty. I trembled, wanting to move away from the sticky liquid as it ran over my skin. The knife was once again passed over my head to the witch, the blade stained red.

"Pro puero isto oravi, et congregata est ad animum redit acciperet. Eorum spiritus implicabitur in saecula. Erit anima eorum, ingenia esse. Corda eorum in unum. Ex maiore illius et miserationes. Vestigium Is cum sanguine. Cutis sanguinem, sanguinem in ossibus corporis sanguinem." A hand was pressed against my forehead, leaving the residue of blood behind when it was lifted. I felt sick, feeling it lingering on my flesh. I saw Elijah briefly out of the corner of my eye and guessed it was his hand that had touched me.

"Ex secunda serenitatem suam silentio. Vestigium Is cum sanguine. Cutis sanguinem, sanguinem in ossibus corporis sanguinem." Blood was smeared across my lips like crude lipstick and down across my chin and throat."Ex tertia famem et ambitio. Vestigium Is cum sanguine. Cutis sanguinem, sanguinem in ossibus corporis sanguinem." More blood, this time over my stomach. "Ex quarta amor et desiderium. Vestigium Is cum sanguine. Cutis sanguinem, sanguinem in ossibus corporis sanguinem." I felt a cold hand probe between my legs and jerked away as best I could, failing miserably. Blood was smeared across my inner thighs and fingers slightly rubbed my most intimate parts before retracting. I guessed it was either Klaus or Kol who was responsible for that. They both seemed the type. "A quinto femina, et fortitudo ejus certamque. Vestigium Is cum sanguine. Cutis sanguinem, sanguinem in ossibus corporis sanguinem." Soft feminine hands rubbed blood on the soles of my feet, then a curved nail jabbed sharply into the skin. If I had been able to speak, I would have yelped in pain. I settled for glaring at the ceiling and trying to remove myself from my body as much as possible. I felt disgusting. Every inch of my skin felt like it was covered in the quickly drying fluid, although I knew it probably wasn't as much as I fear.

"Observetis eam sicut et illorum sanguinem super cutem." A bowl was pressed to my lips, liquid lapping at my closed mouth. I remembered the bowl from earlier and put two and two together. Nu uh. Not happening. I kept it closed tight, refusing to let anything enter my mouth. No way was I drinking that. It was bad enough having part of them on me let alone inside me. Someone gripped my skin sharply between their nails, causing me to let out a startled choking noise in pain and shock. The liquid was tipped down my throat the second my lips parted. I gagged as the thick substance coated my mouth and throat; the bitter, coppery taste of blood fogged my senses. All I could concentrate was the taste and my disgust. I gagged and retched, spitting and spluttering, trying to get it out of me any way possible. A hand was clasped over my lips, preventing me from ridding any residual traces of the vile substance from my mouth.

"Observetis eam sicut et illorum sanguinem super cutem. Ut ad eos sanguis in corpore." The cool blade of the knife was trailed over my flesh, sending shivers through my body, before coming to rest over my heart, the point pressed against me, leaving an indent in my fragile skin. My breathing picked up sharply, fear coursing through me. Suddenly she stabbed it into my chest. I screamed. Or at least, I think I did. I heard the sound but I wasn't sure if I'd uttered it or if it was just in my head.

"Observetis eam sicut et illorum sanguinem super cutem. Ut ad eos sanguis in corpore. Ut sanguis in corde subsisterent." I felt something strange spreading throughout my body; my pores began to heat, every nerve was on fire and at the same time numb. Fire and ice, coexisting and destroying my body together. The fire raged before being replaced by freezing ice, flooding my veins. My head was swimming; pressure was crashing down on me from every angle, pain building inside my skull until I thought it might burst. I felt like my body was being dismantled piece by piece, stripped of skin and bone until nothing was left of me. It was too much. I needed an escape, not even a physical one, just some relief from the tormenting agony raging inside me. My mind began to shut down. I felt my consciousness fading. My eyes began to close and as they did, I saw their faces above me. Elijah, Klaus, Kol, Rebekah, Finn. Elijah, Klaus, Kol, Rebekah, Finn. The world spun around me and they blurred into one, and then blurred further into nothing.

As I drifted to oblivion, words drifted to my ears. It was the chant, the same language as all the other words had been spoken, but it wasn't being said solely by the witch. It seemed to fill my head, echoed in five voices, louder than the spoken sixth. The voices were speaking as one but at the time each was separate and clearly distinguishable. They repeated the words over and over, louder with each passing second but never changing volume.

"Soror nostra amator, protectoris nostri, nostri puerum servit. Recede a nobis, et semper et in saecula saeculorum. Et nos unum sumus."

_Our sister, our lover, our protector, our child, our slave. Stand with us, always and forever. We are one._


	2. Chapter I

**A/N: Well i can say thank you all so much for the lovely response i got to the first chapter :D I wasn't planning on updating so soon (i wrote 4 chapters for this story before publishing but i was going to wait a bit) but because you've all been so nice, i thought i'd give you this installment early. And guess what? I wrote (what i consider to be) A LONG CHAPTER! I'm trying to make all my chapters a certain length (with the exception of the preface and epilogue), however this may mean they take a bit longer to post. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

When I came round, I was no longer tied up and the hard surface I'd previously been lain on had been replaced by a soft mattress which was definitely preferable. Thick blankets in rich ruby red colour were tucked around my body, leaving no space for chills to sneak in. I sat up, letting the covers slip from my body. I was dressed in a pale grey tank top and soft black cotton boy shorts, the same things I normally wore to bed when the weather was pleasant. My skin was completely clean of blood, not a stain or mark left, and the absence of a large gaping stab wound in my chest was certainly a relief. I was almost tempted to deem the whole ritual as a bizarre and horrific dream conjured up by my mind due to recent stress, except for the fact that this luxurious bedroom definitely wasn't mine and I didn't recognize it as any of the rooms in the boarding house I'd seen. I looked around the room properly, searching for clues as to where I was. There wasn't much in the way of furniture, except for a bed, a wooden chest of drawers painted white, a bookcase and a dressing table made of the same white wood. What surprised me was it wasn't just some non-descript bedroom, a spare bedroom where I'd been randomly deposited. It was undeniably feminine in style and decoration, with several personal touches that appealed to me, like a cushioned window seat and curtains very much like my own at home. There were trinkets scattered atop the chest of drawers in careful disarray, very similar to the ones that adorned my own dresser at home. It was as if someone had designed this room with me in mind. I went to the door and tried it, surprised when it opened immediately. Call me old fashioned but I believed that most prison doors were kept locked; no matter how luxurious a prison it might be, it was still a prison. I moved quietly into the hallway. It reminded me of a stately home, the kind with dark wood walls, thick rugs on the floor, random ornate vases scattered around and expensive looking paintings hanging every few feet along the walls, probably prints or copies of famous masterpieces that I simply didn't recognize. I'd never really known much about art. The whole place had a vacant feeling to it, as if it hadn't been used in a long time and there was little personality showing through, unlike in my room which had apparently been decorated with purpose. I knew that it was probably a waste of time sneaking considering I rarely got kidnapped by humans and, unless it had been an illusion or they'd all gone out, I was sharing a house with four vampires and one exceptionally egotistical hybrid, which meant they most likely already knew I was up and on the move and were both anticipating and planning to stop my inevitable escape attempt. Still, it did no harm to at least have a look around and see if there was a possibility of finding a way out. I wasn't sure when I'd next get an opportunity like this and I wasn't going to waste it just because I knew I'd get caught in the end. I crept down the stairs, seeing a large door at the bottom with panels of stained glass making patterns of swirling vines and flowers.

Front door. Bingo.

I glanced around the hall for any signs of life but spotted no one. Was it really going to be that easy? I was a little disappointed to be honest. I had expected more of them.  
I silently descended the last few steps, probing each step with my foot for any hint of weak or creaking wood that might draw attention to me, before stepping down onto it. When I reached the bottom of the steps, I moved swiftly and silently to the door. My eyes were fixed on my target. I was hoping that the vampires were so confident in their ability to catch me if I tried to escape that they wouldn't have bothered to lock the door. Of course, if that was the case it meant they were most likely still in the house, even if I hadn't seen any sign of them. Of course I couldn't help but hope that they might have stepped out for a minute. Maybe gone hunting together or something. I wasn't sure if it was normally a social activity but I could dream, right? Although, I doubted even they would leave a prisoner in an unlocked house when they went out.  
I tried the door handle with baited breath, but it was locked firmly. I rested my head against the wood with a soft sigh. I knew it was a long shot but it had to have been worth a try. I straightened up and turned, ready to start searching for another exit. I let out a short scream as I realised that the previously unoccupied hallway was now occupied, by a person standing about a foot from me. Elijah. Naturally. He gave me a small smile and took a step closer, filling the void between our two bodies. My breathing hitched at the proximity between myself and this dangerous, elegant man. I know that I'd said Elijah's presence relaxed me. That was before I viewed him as a traitor and an enemy. He was scary. In fact, when he was this close, he was terrifying.

"Hello Elena. What are you doing down here?" My mind struggled to come up with a viable excuse for my presence. I wasn't sure why. I mean, it was obvious that I'd been trying to leave and even if it wasn't, it would have been a natural assumption to make for a person in my position. When I failed to answer, Elijah continued. "Perhaps we should head to the dining room, hmm? The rest of the family is waiting for you." He took a firm hold of my wrist and practically dragged me down the corridor behind him. I didn't bother to struggle, knowing it would only cause me harm rather than achieve anything. He led me into a room which was vaguely familiar. I eventually identified it as the room where I'd first woken, strapped down. There was the large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling that I'd been forced to stare at when I'd woken up. In the centre of the room was a dining table which I guessed was where I'd been chained up previously, although, like me, it bore no sign of what had passed, and the vampires Klaus had introduced yesterday (I assumed it was only yesterday) were seated around it, along with the hybrid himself. He looked up when Elijah entered and smiled brightly when he saw me trailing along behind him. I'd never seen him smile like that, it had always just been smirking. The change was deeply unsettling. I wondered what had made him so pleased with himself.

"Good morning Elena. How did you sleep?" He asked as Elijah pulled out a chair for me next to Klaus and indicated I was to sit down, which I did reluctantly. I was in the middle of a vampire lair. Running was probably not a good idea. In fact, I thought, they might take it as an invitation and put me on the menu for breakfast. Or… whatever meal it was time for. Passing out really screwed up my sense of time in a deeply annoying fashion.

"Like I passed out from blood loss after I got stabbed in the heart during some screwed up ritual" I said simply, levelling my resentful glare at the smiling hybrid.

"Well that's to be expected given the circumstances I suppose" he said, with a smile and a shrug. I gently ran my fingers along the smooth surface of the table, in an attempt to ground myself. I needed to keep my head in this situation or I could literally lose it. I'd never managed to shake the image of Elijah decapitating that man with a flick of his hand when we'd first met. I took a long breath, forcing myself to remain at least semi polite towards my captors.

"Can I ask you something?" I said quietly, the restraint I was having to put in evident in every strained word that I spoke.

"You can ask me whatever you like," Klaus said with a smirk. Well that was at least more familiar than the unnerving smiles he'd taken to giving me but it was in no way less threatening. I gave him a wary look, considering his words carefully. Nothing was ever easy when it came to him, there was always a double meaning behind everything he said.

"Will you answer...?" I raised an eyebrow, watching him intently. I really would rather have looked away but since I was surrounded by strange vampires, there wasn't really a better sight to turn my eyes on. If I tried to admire the paintings around me instead, one of their heads was bound to get in the way.

"Depends on what you ask me, I guess" He shrugged nonchalantly and smiled at what I suppose he thought was wit but was really just annoying. I managed to stop myself from rolling my eyes at him. Only barely.

"Gah...okay I'm going to make this as brief as possible because talking to you is giving me a headache. And I just got over the last one. Which was also caused by you actually. What happened last... wait, how long have I been upstairs?" I asked, realizing this was as good an opportunity as any to get my sense of time back. Not knowing how long I had been unconscious for was really starting to bug me.

"Hmm... just over a day?" Klaus looked at his siblings for conformation of his statement. I guessed they gave it because he didn't correct himself. I didn't look at them to see if they gave a nonverbal response, I was far too busy reeling from the shock of being unconscious for over a day.

"A day?!" I squeaked.

"Elena it is natural that your body requires some time to recover after what it went through. After all, not many humans would have survived such a life threatening injury" He said, his tone carefully innocent and somewhat patronizing.

"After what _you_ put it through you mean." I snapped accusingly. He raised an eyebrow at me. I sighed and shook my head slightly. "So what actually happened the other night?"

"Are you sure the ritual didn't damage her brain in the process? I would have thought that someone would remember getting a knife imbedded in their chest" said Rebekah sarcastically, a superior smirk on her face.

"Well I'd expect you to know all about that Rebekah, after all... No wait... my mistake… your brother prefers to stab people in the back doesn't he?" I said, making sure to keep my tone as innocent as possible in an attempt to infuriate her as much as I could. It worked. Her expression soured and she got to her feet sharply, lip curled back in an angry sneer and hands clenched into fists.

"Listen you little..." Klaus cut her off before she could complete whatever threat or curse she planned to make to me.

"Rebekah. Elena is not for you to harm. If you do, it will be exceptionally counterproductive. Remember?" he told her sharply. Rebekah glared at him irritated, and reluctantly took her seat once again. I hid my smile. He'd acted exactly as I expected him to and had confirmed my secret suspicions. I wasn't here to die. I'd thought that since I'd woken up here this morning. After all, if I had been, I wouldn't have woken up at all. That meant I was as safe as I could be in this situation.

"Fine. But I don't have to like her" she growled softly, glaring at me. I smiled at her, feeling bravery in me that I'd never had before around Klaus. Maybe that was just because before he'd been trying to kill me and now he wanted to keep me safe.

"If it helps, I don't really like you either" I said with a shrug and my falsely sweet smile firmly in place. Klaus raised an eyebrow, chuckling in amusement as I continued to infuriate his sister. Looked like I wasn't the only one who was enjoying pissing her off. A quick glance around the table showed me that Kol had a similar expression to his brother.

"When did you become this brave Elena? I remember you being… less so the last times we met" Klaus asked, eyeing me with a strange look in his eyes. Was it respect I saw? Hmm… come to think of it, probably not. Elijah scoffed at Klaus' comments, vocalizing his disagreement with my games.

"Funny, I was going to ask her the same thing... but I would have replaced brave with foolish," He said, softly. I rolled my eyes. I didn't care what he thought of me anymore. He was lower than Klaus in my mind because Klaus had never pretended to be something he wasn't. Klaus was a murderer and a villain. I'd always known that. Elijah was a murderer, a traitor and a liar but he'd pretended to be a gentleman, a noble man who kept promises.

"Well I figure if you wanted me dead...I would be. Stabs wounds don't really tend to heal on humans. Or at least not in one day." I shrugged and toyed with my hands. "Plus I'm Klaus' human blood bag so I think I'm in a safe enough position to afford to be a little foolish. Now would someone please explain exactly what went on last night? Cause I'm really not into bondage and I want to know if me being chained to tables will be a recurring occurrence." I heard a chuckle from Kol's direction. I folded my arms in response and waited for someone to answer me.

"Why? Is there something wrong with our table Elena?" Kol asked, looking offended by the mere suggestion.

"It's a lovely table Kol, it's just not very comfortable" I said briskly, wanting to move onto more important things.

"Ahh, I see. We'll look at getting some pillows in for our next table top sacrificial victim" He said, nodding to himself.

"Yeah that'd be nice. I wish I'd had that. I would have cared a lot less about being strapped to a table and sacrificed if I'd had pillows to lie on" I responded, my voice heavy with sarcasm that he seemed to miss.

"See klaus? I told you we should have put pillows down,"

"You were right kol, we should get a sheet too next time. The maid was cleaning the table for hours to get the blood off it" He said with an aggravated groan as if it was somehow my fault. I turned my fierce eyes to him, wanting an answer. "Perhaps the conversation regarding the other night's activities can wait until after breakfast? Once we've eaten, I promise I'll explain everything." I eyed him sceptically. "You need to eat after all Elena, we don't want you passing out again." Klaus said with pretend concern.

"Yes. It's very annoying," chimed in the youngest brother.

"Then maybe people should stop sticking pointy things into me and maybe I'll be able to…" I muttered under my breath. I wasn't happy that he was delaying telling me but I couldn't exactly go anywhere anyway so I decided to play along for the moment. "Breakfast sounds delicious," I said, managing a strained smile. Actually, now that I thought about it, it did sound quite good. I was rather hungry. I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten.  
Klaus smiled back and raised his hand, signalling to someone out of the room. A young girl with long light brown hair came in, carrying a tray of food with her. She set a dish in front of each of us and then left, returning a moment later with a jug. She poured Klaus a glass of thick red liquid that I could only guess was blood, and then moved to pour me one.

"Erm…not for me thank you," I said, disturbed by the very idea. She looked over at Klaus. He shook his head and murmured something in her ear. She nodded briefly, put the jug down on the table and left. I glanced down at my plate. It contained a mixture of fruits, a small helping of yoghurt and honey, and a small bowl of granola. I frowned at the interesting meal choice. I wasn't aware vampires particularly focused on healthy eating. Still it all looked edible and I was rather hungry, so I started eating. I was aware of eyes on me as I ate. It was very unnerving. I tried my hardest to concentrate on eating and not let it get to me. Nobody spoke as we ate, the only sound was the soft clink of forks on crockery and glass being lifted then set down again. When I was finished, I finally lifted my head and waited for Klaus to explain what had happened the night before. He looked up, feeling my expectant gaze on him.

"Yes Elena? Is there something wrong with your food?"

"No. Its fine. But I've eaten now and I'd really like to know what you did to me the other night. With the magic and blood and all that." He sighed.

"You did promise, Klaus." Said Elijah softly. I turned to glare at him. I didn't need him sticking up for me.

"Very well." He let out another aggravated sigh and leant back in his chair. "The other night, our witch performed a ritual on you. This ritual connected us all as one…"

"WHAT?!" I shouted, unable to contain my rage. I got up ready to run or fight, whatever was necessary. He gave me an irritated look.

"Be quiet Elena, sit down and let me finish." I remained standing. He nodded slightly and Kol came over, restraining my arms behind my back and forcing me into a sitting position on his lap. I struggled angrily, wanting to be as far away from him as possible. I started cursing at him and Klaus and everyone else within the room until he clamped a hand over my mouth, silencing me. "Now, if I may continue… as I was saying, the ritual last night connected the six of us as one. This was done in order to protect you, as I require your blood for my hybrids and if you are hurt you will simply heal. It was also done to stop people like the Salvatore brothers from trying to harm myself or my family as if they do find a way to kill us, it will only result in them killing you. Now, this connection also allows us to feel your emotions and communicate with you mentally. As far as we know the emotional connection is only one way, as we figured that giving five other peoples' emotions to a hormonal teenage girl would be enough to drive her insane." He gave me a smug smirk. "That's pretty much all there is to explain."

"Actually Klaus, you missed out the part about the fact that we can enter and share our dreams with her as well as being able to manipulate her emotions," said Elijah dryly. Kol groaned.

"Elijah! You killjoy! We weren't going to tell her that part! I wanted to see her freak out!" he cried out. I glared, and growled against his smothering hand.

"Now, of course we can't allow you to wander off but we're not going to lock you up either. We're going to treat you like part of the family so you have free reign of the house and grounds. In a few days we may even let you return to your school, under supervision of course. We expect you to eat meals with us and interact in a friendly, respectful manner. In addition, as our youngest sibling, you must obey your elders. And that includes Rebekah." She gave an evil smirk. "As long as it doesn't put you in harm's way that is. In fact you are not to do anything that puts you at risk. You are to exercise and eat healthily. We want you to be at peak health." Her smirk disappeared. "Is that all understood?" I gave a muffled response. "Kol." The hand was removed from my mouth instantly. I sighed in relief. I wasn't really sure how to react to this news. The idea of being bound to them was repulsing and terrifying. Every fibre of my being screamed at me to fight and find a way out but I knew, deep down, that there was really nothing I could do to change any of this. At least not while I was in this house, stuck with these people. I tried to think of a way out but my mind felt incredibly fuzzy, like it was filled with static preventing me from concentrating. I wondered if that was their doing. Thinking about that made me realize that my escape chances had dropped down to pretty much zero if they could see into my head. All they had to do was peek inside and they'd know every move I planned to make. In short, I was exceptionally and incredibly screwed. I felt a surge of anger at the thought of them trespassing in my head and without thinking, I reached out and grabbed a fork from the table, stabbing it into the nearest object I could harm. Which just so happened to be Klaus' hands. He let out a growl of anger and (I hoped) pain. A second later, I felt a sharp pain in my hand, making me let out a wail of pain, and four small stab wounds appeared on the skin. I stared at them in shock. I hadn't really believed Klaus' words until now, the evidence in front of my eyes was undisputable. As I watched, the wounds healed and faded. It was incredible to watch, like someone had filmed an injury healing and sped it up. I could actually see the blood clot, the skin knit together and then fresh skin cells cover the scars.

"What did I say about doing harm to us?" he said, sounding like an adult scolding a small child. He got up from his seat. "We could have done this the easy way Elena. Kol, take Elena upstairs and put her in her room until she can learn to behave in more acceptable manner." Kol lifted me up and held me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I struggled and started to scream, wanting desperately to get away from his restraining grasp. I slipped slightly in his arms and he readjusted his grip on my body so that I wouldn't fall. This new position meant that one of his hands was resting on my bottom which made me screech louder. He carried me quickly up the stairs and into the bedroom I'd woken in, which I guessed was to be 'mine' while I stayed here. He dropped me down onto the bed with a thump. I tried to right myself as quickly as possible, intent on running out of the room again. He moved in front of me and pushed me back onto the bed, then blurred out of the room. There was the sound of a key turning in a lock. I sat on the bed and screamed at the door in rage. I considered venting my anger on the surrounding furniture or anything else I could get my hands on but I realised that would just make my stay here more uncomfortable. So I settled for simply screeching at the door until my throat was sore and my voice went hoarse from overuse. When that happened, I lay back on the bed and stared numbly at the ceiling. I couldn't believe this was really happening. How could I be connected to them? I didn't want to be anything to do with their disgusting family.

_Are you feeling more cooperative Elena? _The voice drifted into my head suddenly. It was as clear as if it had been spoken aloud and the suddenness of it made jump. I glanced around, just to confirm I was alone in the room. _You're alone. This is one of the side effects I told you about. I can talk into your mind._

I glared into space, realizing that it was Klaus talking to me. I wasn't sure if I simply had to think a response to him or speak it or what so I remained silent, trying to keep my thoughts as blank as possible.

_**Is she playing nice?**_ Chimed in another mental voice. This one had a hint of Kol to it. Now that I was concentrating it was easier to detect patterns and tones to the mental voices that matched up with the owners.

_Apparently not. I was hoping her silence was a hint of her willingness to cooperate but looks like I was wrong. _

I stayed resolutely silent, focusing on my breathing and not thinking. It was hard with the voices chattering away and they were accompanied by the strange buzzing sensation from earlier which only added to my struggle. It seemed to worsen as I registered it, as if it was being forced down upon me. I let out a groan of frustration. Was this a deliberate attempt to frustrate me and cause me pain?

_Yes. Yes it is. If you want it to stop, then all you need to do is agree to behave yourself. It's not so bad being part of our family Elena._

Apart from the daggering of family members and intense hatred for each other, I couldn't help thinking sarcastically.

_We don't hate each other. Just surrender Elena. There's nothing you can do so you may as well give in and enjoy what we can offer you. Your family is dead. Don't you want a real family once again?_

His comment tugged something inside me. I missed my family. I missed my mom, dad, Aunt Jenna. I even missed Uncle John. I especially missed Jeremy. I knew though that despite what he was promising, being here would be absolutely nothing like a real family. However, I also knew that he was right. There was nothing I could do. Not now anyway.  
I sighed softly and closed my eyes. I had to stay strong and bide my time. After all, he had said that they might let me go back to school in a while. I might not be able to use that for escape but it would mean I could see Jeremy again if nothing else. I was sure that Klaus was listening into my thoughts and expected a smug comment as I drew closer to my inevitable surrender, yet there was none. I got up off the bed and slowly went over to the door. Even though I'd heard the key turning earlier, something compelled me to try the handle. It turned smoothly and the door opened. I frowned. Had someone unlocked it while I'd been screaming? I sighed softly and headed down the stairs once again, returning to the dining room. Klaus was sitting there as I expected, idly running his finger over the rim of his glass. There was no one else around. I briefly wondered where they'd gone.

"Feeling better?" he asked, looking at me with mild interest. I nodded slowly, looking at my feet. He indicated the seat nearest him which I reluctantly took. "Now Elena, you've had your little tantrum. And you did some things in anger that I am willing to forgive." He glanced pointedly at my hand where I could still make out the faint marks from the fork. I nodded weakly, keeping my eyes cast down. "Are you ready to cooperate with us now and join the family?" I felt my anger bubbling up again at his choice of words but resisted lashing out or making a comment. He continued, prompted by my slow reply. "Elena?"

"Yes. I will cooperate with you."

"And…?" I gritted my teeth. He was going to make me say it, play along with his delusional little world.

"I will be part of your… family." I spat out the word like it poisoned my tongue to have it on there for too long. He smiled, pleased by my response.

"Good girl. You're going to be a fantastic little sister and a great addition to our family." He reached out and touched my hand. I tried to stop myself from flinching at the contact and looked down at my lap. I felt like my soul had been sold to the devil. "Elijah! Kol! Finn! Rebekah!" he called. A moment later they appeared behind him, expressions varying from smugness to annoyance to boredom. Elijah's expression was unreadable as always.

"Elena has acquiesced and agreed to join us. Welcome our newest sister to the family." They turned their eyes to me. Nobody moved or spoke. Then Kol took a step forward. Klaus stopped him and looked to Elijah.

"Eldest first?" he said softly. Elijah sighed and came over to me. He knelt down so he was level with me and placed a soft kiss on my lips. I was too startled to react and by the time I had managed to clear my head enough, he had pulled away. He touched my cheek gently, brushing his thumb against my soft skin.

"Welcome Elena." He murmured softly before stepping aside. Finn moved forward after him. I considered struggling but I remembered my promise to behave myself. He bowed stiffly and placed a brief cold kiss on my lips.

"Welcome sister," he said, his expression completely devoid of emotion. I eyed the two remaining brothers warily. I had a feeling they wouldn't be as quick or respectful as their older siblings. Klaus approached me first. He gave me a surprisingly soft kiss, his teeth briefly pressing into my bottom lip in a way that pulled a short startled gasp from me.

"Welcome to the family love." He winked before moving aside. Kol followed and, as I expected, his kiss was hard and left me gasping for breath. He smirked and whispered his greeting in my ear.

"Welcome Elena…" he nipped lightly at my earlobe as he pulled away, making me squeak and shudder in response. I looked at Rebekah, not quite sure if she was going to follow the same pattern as her brothers. She had her arms folded and was glaring into space.

"Rebekah…" growled Klaus softly. Rebekah sighed and came over. She placed an exceptionally short kiss on my lips.

"Welcome, I guess." She hissed before stalking off. We all watched her go. No one spoke for a few minutes. Kol broke the silence.

"Well, that wasn't so bad."


	3. Chapter II

Following half an hour of awkward conversation and death glares, mainly from Rebekah directed at me, Klaus eventually gave me permission to leave the room, after first instructing me to return at 7pm promptly for dinner. I wasn't sure what would happen if I didn't but I agreed simply so I could get out of the room. I headed back upstairs, relieved to be away from them at last. There were two things I wanted to do now and that was brush my teeth, then get dressed into some clothes that actually covered a decent percentage of my skin. I wasn't sure if whoever had cleaned me up the other night had brushed my teeth and I was nauseatingly aware of the fact that I'd had their blood in my mouth (as well as all over my body. Yuck). Even if they had, I wanted the memory of it gone and I figured brushing would help. At least then I could concentrate on the taste of mint rather than the rancid copper taste that all blood seemed to have. I also needed to get dressed since I'd forgotten to dress before I left my room and during my explorations I had only been wearing a tank top and panties. I wasn't cold or anything, in fact I'd largely forgotten about it at first but after ten minutes downstairs under the perverted eyes of Kol, he had started sending images of my legs and rear into my mind which was deeply off putting and had reminded me of my lack of clothing. That was one of my main reasons for wanting to get out of the room, apart from being uncomfortable surrounded by vampires, I wanted to get out before his mental exploration moved any further or more imaginative.  
Looking around, I realised that this was the first time I'd had an opportunity to explore my new living quarters, as it was the first time I'd been in the room without being unconscious or in the midst of a screaming fit brought on by the very disturbing news that a pack of sadistic vampires had complete open access to my mind. After a quick search, I found that I had an ensuite bathroom and a walk in closet stocked with a variety of clothes and shoes. I found that the bathroom shelves were full of products ranging from shampoo to shower gel to bubble bath, all expensive and of a high quality, using the scents that I normally used at home. Hidden behind some of the expensive bottles were a few small bottles of the brand that I used back home. I considered taking a shower (the prospect of washing off their filthy touches and perverse stares appealed greatly to me) but I wasn't sure how exactly the mental connection thing worked and decided to do some investigation into just how much access the originals had to my mind before I put myself in a position where I could potentially be peeped on by them. I knew the siblings had all seen me nude (and spread-eagled on a table) but I wasn't going to do a repeat performance anytime soon. Instead, I brushed my teeth vigorously until I was absolutely certain that all traces of the blood were gone and then headed over to inspect the clothes in the closet. They were an eclectic mixture of extravagant ball gowns, short summery dresses and designer clothes that, like the bath products, mimicked my taste in a more expensive manner than I could usually afford. I wasn't really sure why I needed a ball gown anyway, let alone multiple gowns but I guessed they must have had a reason for putting them in there, even if it was just to add some confusion to my closet. I couldn't deny that they were indeed gorgeous clothes. If I'd been with my friends, I would have had great fun trying on the many outfits but instead I barely looked at the beautiful clothes for more than a second, picking some out at random that dressed me for comfort rather than style; I wasn't trying to impress anyone around here after all. Plus if I was forced to spend more time around Klaus and his perverted brother, I didn't want to be revealing more skin than was absolutely necessary (and I noted that some of the clothes bared rather a lot of skin). What startled me the most was that when I was getting dressed, I noted that all the clothes were in my size. Including the lace bras and matching panties sets that I found in a drawer. I didn't know if they'd stocked it before I'd arrived (though I wasn't sure how they would have managed to do that since I didn't think they'd had that much time to plan it in advance for my arrival but for all I knew Klaus had been thinking about abducting me or at least some girl of similar height, weight, size and style for some time now and that was why he had a closet stocked with a surplus of girls clothes) or if they had simply measured me during my time unconscious and had then stocked it from that. Either way, it was disturbing that they knew my intimate measurements. I felt ever so slightly violated. Well more than just slightly. Maybe even more so than I had when I'd woken up nude tied to their dining room table. It was a weird idea but in my mind, I felt less disturbed by the table top ritual than them measuring me in secret. At least I had been conscious for the ritual and them fondling my naked body. The idea of them doing it to me while I was out cold was just creepy, probably because I didn't know exactly what had happened.

Now dressed, my eyes wandered to the bookcase which was also fully stocked to the point that the books were too tightly packed to be moved easily. If they hadn't planned this in advance then they had to have really good decorators to get it all sorted out so quickly. A familiar cover on the shelf caught my eyes. I frowned, got up and headed over, my curiosity peaked. I ran my fingers over the titles on the first shelf, taking them all in; each was one that had rested on my own shelves back home. My frown grew as I read. This was all just getting too weird. The clothing styles could have been a coincidence, based on what Klaus had seen me wearing during our brief previous encounters. The bath products could also be explained away due to the vampires' enhanced sense of smell allowing them to identify which ones I liked and used frequently. But this was just bizarre and deeply eerie. There was no way they could have known this without them snooping around my bedroom and that idea unsettled me greatly.  
I wriggled one of the books free, opened it at random and checked the inside cover, hands shaking as I turned the page. My parents used to say books were like flypaper and memories stuck to them, so whenever you read them you would remember past events. They started a tradition where whenever they gave me a book they would write a message inside. It was often just a brief note saying 'happy birthday' or 'merry Christmas' but it was something special that we shared. Staring at the blank title page, I was so exceptionally relieved when I saw no messages scribbled in the corner in my mom's beautiful looped cursive. This confirmed that they hadn't in fact raided my shelves at home. I didn't like the idea of them snooping around my room and swiping my possessions. A second check informed me that these replacements were first editions, all in near perfect condition and obviously very expensive. A couple were even signed by the authors. Whoever had stocked my shelves had clearly spent a lot of money in an attempt to try and make it as similar as possible to my own. A second glance around the room made me notice other things that I hadn't seen before. Things which told me why this room has seemed so appealing to my taste at my first brief glance. There were other similarities, besides the obvious ones. The room was the same shape as mine just a little larger, the curtains at the window were the same colour as the ones in my room at home and a closer look at the dressing table ornaments showed that many were almost identical replacements to the ones that had cluttered my own table, however in place of my family photographs were empty frames. Even the fake pictures that usually came in photo frames had been removed. It made the room seem unfinished in a way, like something important was missing. I found this more disturbing than the identical ornaments and the bookcase. It had gone from eerie to just plain creepy, like they were trying to replace every aspect of my life. I suppose I should have been relieved that they hadn't staged pictures of me with them while I was unconscious to replace the ones I had at home. I flipped the frames over angrily so that the empty space was no longer visible and stalked back over to the bed. I gave the covers a hard look, worried that the red covers would suddenly alter and be replaced by my own black and white pattern. Fortunately, they didn't, so I threw myself onto the bed and buried my head in the pillows. I didn't cry or scream, I just lay there, staring at the red fabric until it blurred into a red haze before my eyes. I wondered why all of this was happening. I could understand the kidnapping and the ritual to a certain extent. But why was Klaus so fixated on me being part of his warped little family? Why had he set up this room like my one at home? I couldn't wrap my mind around any of that. I wasn't sure if he genuinely wanted me here or was simply trying to replace something that he thought was missing. For all I knew he'd had a brunette sister and wanted me as a substitute. It couldn't be simply that I was his blood donor because that didn't require that forced family participation. But if I was just a replacement for someone, I couldn't see why he'd decorate my room like this. Maybe he just wanted to make me uncomfortable. That was probably it, I decided. I couldn't think of any other possible motives. Well, I wasn't going to let it get to me, I decided. I resolved to act as relaxed and at ease in this situation as possible, pretend that I didn't care what was going on. It would be a serious strain but I figured I'd just stay in my room as much as I could, which would limit the time I had to act okay for. I wasn't going to come out unless I absolutely had to. That might prove my carefree façade was false but I didn't really care. Besides, if they wanted to know how I really felt for some strange reason, they'd just read my mind so my effort was going to be wasted before I started anyway.  
I rolled onto my back and picked up the book that I'd taken from the shelf. I needed something to occupy me for a while, I hoped I could get lost in the pages of one of my favourite story. It might offer me some shelter from this cruel reality. Unfortunately, after only a few sentences I realized I wasn't going to succeed. I was struggling to focus on the book and eventually tossed it to the side in frustration. I stared up at the ceiling vacantly at a loss for what to do. I wondered what the others were doing. I wasn't really sure what vampires did with their spare time. I mean, Stefan always used to go to school or was spending time with me and Damon spent his day… well, being Damon. Which, as far as I knew, only involved heavy drinking and nudity. I could imagine Kol having similar interests but I expected that the others probably had more varied tastes. At least, I hoped so. I just wasn't sure what they might be. Or whether they'd be hobbies I could stomach. My hyper imaginative mind went into overdrive, conjuring up any number of horrible scenarios that might occur. It got to the point where I found myself feeling scared to leave the room for fear I might find them torturing some poor young girl in their living room. With a frustrated groan, I pressed a pillow to my head in the hope that it would divert my thoughts before I could come up with anything worse.

To distract myself, I decided to explore the house. I wanted to see more than just what I'd seen earlier during my brief search for an exit. It was always useful to have a lay of the surroundings in case of emergencies. Not sure what kind of thing would count as an emergency considering the situation I was already in was pretty severe but still, always useful. I might be in need of a hiding place at some point or I could find a room full of weapons in my search and that would definitely come in handy in all kinds of situations.  
I moved quietly from my room into the hallway without any actual purpose. I idled down the corridor, pausing to inspect the paintings in an attempt to at least try and identify them. If I learnt something about them than I could use it for conversation whenever Klaus forced me to interact with him and his siblings. I noted that several of the paintings had identical signatures scrawled in the corners. I peered closer, trying to make it out but couldn't read the swirling script. I decided to move on instead. My room was furthest from the staircase and there were a number of doors off the hallway. I was curious to see what was behind them. I decided to work my way down and tried the first one, the one opposite to my room, but it was locked securely so I moved onto the next which swung open at my first light touch. It was a study, with a dark mahogany desk against one wall beside a large bookcase full of leather bound books. In one corner there was an easel with a canvas in place on it. Candles were dotted around on various surfaces, most melted down to stubs with burnt wicks. The canvas had the start of painting on it, just background colour currently with the shape of vague objects being formed by layers of colour.

"Hmm…" I murmured to myself, looking at the painting with interest. I had no idea that any of them were interested in art. Then again, it was probably a logical assumption since (in theory) they were ancient, refined creatures with rather… erm… enjoyable accents. They probably enjoyed all sorts of cultural things that I had considered. I smiled, wondering whose work it was and whether this was the same person who had painted the ones in the hall. There were no clues around the room to indicate the artist, nothing personal that could be linked to one of the originals and all the pictures were abstracts or landscapes which didn't tell me anything about the painter. I opted to move on rather than search anymore. I wasn't sure how they'd react to my snooping if they found out and I didn't want to risk staying too long or rifle through things, leaving signs of my presence.  
I returned to the corridor and crossed over to the door that was next to mine. I knew the one opposite me was safe but it was good to know if I had a psycho sleeping next to me. Or if I was likely to be hearing displeasing noises at night.  
This one also opened easily. Inside was a bedroom. It was mainly fitted with dark wood and the whole room had a threatening feel to it. It made me think of an angsty teenage boy's bedroom, like when Jeremy went through his rebellious phase, except with expensive furniture and a clearly styled feeling to it, more like it had been done by someone trying to imitate the room of a rebellious teenage boy than by someone who actually was. Most of the space was taken up by a large four poster bed with black velvet curtains and fitted black silk sheets. There was a large wardrobe in one corner with one door slightly ajar, a black armchair in an alcove in the opposite corner with a floor lamp behind it and a large flat screen TV opposite the bed. There were posters for old bands and movies in frames on the walls. There was a door leading off the room, left slightly open, which revealed a bathroom when I approached it enough to peek through. It smelt strongly of cologne, enough to make me cough and the air felt steamy, indicating it had been recently used. I glanced around the room once more, curious as to whose room it was. I doubted it was Elijah's or Rebekah's (which I figured would be pink to match the Barbie style thing she had going on); my suspicions swung towards Klaus or Kol. I wasn't sure who would be worse to have as my neighbour. Either way, I resolved to lock my door securely and block it with furniture if necessary before I went to sleep. It may not stop them but at least then I'd get a warning if they tried to sneak into my room unannounced.

I was heading for the door when I heard voices in the hallway, faint at first but growing louder as the speakers drew closer. I bit my lip, unsure of what to do. I didn't want to be discovered here but a quick peek through the gap in the door confirmed that I'd be seen if I tried to leave. Kol and Rebekah were both in the hallway, approaching my direction. I didn't know if they were actually going to come into the room but I figured it would be a good idea to hide just in case. I wasn't stupid enough to hide under the bed (although it was big enough to conceal my whole body) which meant that the only place that seemed suitable was the wardrobe so I scurried inside and pulled the door partly closed, leaving a slither of space to let light in. I settled myself into the corner, nudging stray shoes to make space, biting my lip. I heard the door to the bedroom opening and felt my heart skip a beat as footsteps crossed the room.

"Hurry up Kol. I want to get out of here!" came Rebekah's whiney voice, clear and as grating as ever even through the thick wooden door.

"Patience little sister. They're around here somewhere" Kol said. I heard a soft scuffling as objects were moved around as he searched for something.

"Are you sure you didn't just leave them in your jacket pocket?" I heard the unmistakable click of high heels coming towards my hiding place as Rebekah pursued her theory to find whatever it she was after and I held my breath in anticipation of my discovery.

"Yes Rebekah. I am sure; I left them on my desk. See, they're over here." I heard a jangle that I guessed was from a set of keys being retrieved. The high heel sounds receded away back towards the door and there was a brief exchange between the two vampires before Kol handed the keys over to his sister, followed by the sound of the door closing. I tentatively peeked out of the gap I'd left, wondering if it was safe to leave yet. I could see Kol standing still in the middle of the room, eyes scanning the room with dark intent. His gaze paused on the wardrobe and his eyes narrowed as a small smile spread across his face. I shrank back into my darkened corner, scared he could see me through the wood. My movement dislodged a jacket from its hanger, knocking it down on top of me with a small clatter. I froze, knowing he would have heard the noise. I dared not peek through the gap but I positioned myself so I could tell Kol's movements by the distortion of the light. He approached the wardrobe slowly, the wait agonizing and each step deafening to me. I curled up in the corner, pulling the jacket over me in the vain hope that it would shield me from sight and I wouldn't be spotted. The door to the wardrobe creaked open. I held my breath, eyes squeezed tightly shut. Part of my mind screamed at me to open my eyes, that I needed to see the danger coming but another insane part told me that if I didn't see him, then he wouldn't see me. It was nowhere near true but I clung to the vain hope like it was a lifeboat in a stormy sea.

"KOL! Come down here and give me a hand with this!" called Klaus' voice from the hallway.

"Your super strength not enough, hybrid boy?" Kol yelled back.

"Down here! Now!" Kol sighed and the door clicked shut once again. I heard his footsteps cross the room again and then the bedroom door was shut. I had just released a sigh of relief when I heard the sound of a key being turned in the lock. My eyes widened in horror as the sound was recognized by my terrified brain. I pulled myself out of the wardrobe and dashed across the room to the door. I frantically tried the handle, tugging furiously in an attempt to free myself, but it was locked securely and didn't even budge. The horrific realization sank in as I stared at the door. I was trapped in Kol's bedroom. I started to panic, not really sure what I should do. The only other way out that I could see when I glanced around the room was a large set of double windows, but when I went over and looked out, it became very clear that I'd never survive the jump (it wasn't especially high, but there was a rockery underneath that I'd land on if I jumped) and that there was no drainpipe or anything I could use to climb down. I sighed, furious at myself for allowing myself to get caught in this position. I was an idiot for trying to sneak around. I should have known something bad would happen and just stayed in my room. Right, I needed to think about what to do. I considered my choices carefully. I could sit in here and wait for Kol to get back to do whatever he wanted with me. I could try to unlock the door or knock it down somehow (the practical part of that plan was still a working progress in my mind). I could try and make something to climb out of the window with, like a rope ladder made out of sheets, the way they did in the movies. The second option seemed the most likely to succeed and also the most pleasant to carry out. I mean, it didn't involve me waiting for a murderous vampire to come back and most likely cause me harm or have me risk my life to climb out of a window on a rope made out of bed sheets that would probably break when I got halfway down (again, like it usually did in the movies). I started looking around for a spare door key or something I could use in place of one. I checked the desk, the drawers, his shirt pockets, I even checked underneath the mattress for sets of spare keys in case Kol happened to have hidden them there for whatever bizarre reason. When I failed to find any, I looked around for something I could use as a replacement. There were a few pens scattered on the desk which I didn't think would work especially well but I decided that they'd do as a last resort if it came to it. I didn't have a hair pin that I could use so I tried to find a paperclip or screwdriver but Kol didn't seem to have anything at all like that lying around. I checked to see if I could bend the coat hangers to unhook the lock but they were the heavy wooden ones as opposed to metal ones that were bendable. I let out a frustrated groan and sank to the floor with a light thud. I was an idiot for snooping around. I dreaded to think what Kol would do to me when he found me here. I decided not to linger on it for too long otherwise my mind was going to go into overdrive again and come up with all kinds of horrific scenarios. I tried to remember what else worked for lock picking. Hair pins… paperclips… screwdrivers… credit cards! That was the other way that I'd seen in movies. You could slide it between the door and frame. I wasn't sure if it actually worked but it was worth a try at least.

However, this revelation was pointless as a quick glance at my surroundings confirmed that there were no credit cards or anything similar lying around which I could use. I resisted the urge to bang my head against the nearest wooden object in frustration and instead buried my head in my arms, letting out a low, angry groan. It didn't achieve anything but nothing I tried was working and I was out of ideas. I was so lost in my own turmoil that I barely heard the soft click of the door opening.

"Well, you seem to be in quite a predicament here." The soft voice startled me and I looked up to see Finn stood in the doorway, holding a key in his hand. I blinked, struggling to form words for a minute. "You know Elena, in future, hiding in a vampire's wardrobe may not be such a good idea. Considering it's easy to smell you as well as hear your heartbeat clearly in this confined space. In addition to that, said vampire also had a mental connection to you which made it even more likely that he knew you were there. Are you seeing the flaw in this yet?" His words brought about a realization.

"He… he knew I was in there?" My god, I was an idiot for thinking he wouldn't notice me hiding here. Finn had made me feel incredibly stupid when he'd pointed out the obvious facts that I'd missed when I had entered the room and chosen to hide instead of flee.

"Yes. Kol never locks his bedroom door. In fact, no one around here does except for Elijah and I. and that's only to stop Rebekah walking in whenever she wants. We're a pretty open family most of the time. He only did it to put you in a position of vulnerability. He has a cruel streak in case you haven't noticed and since he can't hurt you physically, he's likely to keep torment you as much as he can until you crack under the pressure."

"Oh." That wasn't a particularly nice prospect for my future in this household.

"Don't worry Miss Gilbert. Not all of us are as sadistic as my young siblings. We'll take care of you. I know it's a cliché and that you probably won't believe it, but we do take care of our family. And, you have unfortunately been forced into the middle of this dysfunctional wreck we call a family." I looked up at him and bit my lip.

"So you're… rescuing me?" I asked, hopefully.

"Yes. Kol's sense of humour and amusement is very different from own and I make it my business to deprive him of such antics as he finds amusing whenever I can." I got to my feet and approached him warily, fearing a trick despite his relatively kind words.

"Thank you." He gave me a slight smile, the briefest flicker of emotion on his otherwise void face. It suited him and I wondered why he didn't smile more. I suppose, living as long as he had, that he must have seen something's in his life that had saddened him or made him disillusioned with life enough to stop him from smiling.

"You're welcome. Now, I must suggest you run along to your bedroom quickly Miss Elena before someone comes and foils my heroic rescue attempt." I nodded quickly, scurried down the corridor and back into my room. I closed the door firmly behind me and sighed in relief at the sight of these surroundings. They were so familiar to me, even if it wasn't an exact replica of home. I was actually glad they'd tried to copy my room in this moment. It was creepy but I figured it might just make it easier for me to adapt to this new life in a strange way. I didn't want to be here but my foray into the surroundings rooms had proved that it was far too easy for the siblings to catch and contain me. I knew I just had to accept what was happening for now. I crawled onto the bed and curled up under the thick, warm covers, determined not to leave the safety and momentary tranquillity that they provided for a very, very long time.


	4. Chapter III

I wasn't sure how long I'd been curled up in the quiet haven provided by my bed when the loud chiming of a grandfather clock cut through my peace once again. I jumped, as I had at the chimes of every hour that had passed. By now I should have learned to expect the chiming but each one took me by surprised. I knew that an amount of hours had passed, I just didn't take notice of which ones or how many. My mind dimly registered the seven chimes of the clock before I sank once more into my careful constructed web of blank thoughts and serene oblivion. I became aware of a faint noise at the back of my mind, like a radio that had been left on in another room, something I could hear but not completely make out. I ignored it, blanking it out as much as possible and concentrating on thinking about nothing whatsoever.

_ELENA!_

The word screamed into my head from out of nowhere, so startling that my whole body jolted in surprise and pain from the force of the word. I clutched my head as the wave of pain swept over me before rescinding into the recesses of my mind. I blinked, eyes darting around as I searched for the source.

_Elena, was I not clear with my instructions this morning?_

I realized what was going on then, recognizing the nuances of the voice and the way it was spoken while at the same time being silent. It was Klaus in my head. It was such a strange feeling, one that I knew I'd never get used too fully. I hoped that they wouldn't use that part of the connection too often, it was just plain unsettling. I scowled and tried to tune him out, part of me wondering what he wanted so urgently and the other (much larger) part wondering if my mind worked like a radio, meaning I could switch 'stations' so to speak, if I wanted.

_I recall telling you that dinner was at 7pm sharp? Why are you not down here ready to dine with us?_ He continued persistently, his irritation clear in every icy word whispered into my mind. I curled into a tight ball and pulled a pillow over my head, covering my ears in a vain hope that it might muffle the internal speech somehow. After a while, it actually seemed to work. The voice faded first, then went completely silent and I allowed my body to relax once more, slowly uncurling myself from my tight ball. However, my rediscovered sense of peace didn't last long. The door was suddenly and violently thrown open, so hard that the handle dented the wall, plaster dust tumbling from the mark and leaving a small white pile on the floor. I jumped instinctively at the sudden intrusion and my body jerked upright. Klaus marched across the room and seized my arm painfully hard, digging his fingers into my tender flesh. He started to drag me off of the bed. I screeched in shock which quickly turned to pain as my head collided sharply with the sturdy bed frame (an act I wasn't entirely sure was accidental) before he pulled me out of the room.

"What are you doing?" I managed to stammer out as I thrashed helplessly against his grip, futilely trying to free myself from him with all might. We got to the stairs and he paused to adjust his grip on my body so that I wouldn't go tumbling down but still positioned to stop me from fleeing from the erratic, maddened hybrid.

"In future, when I tell you to be downstairs at seven, I expect you to be there! Is that understood Elena?" he snapped as he guided me downwards. I stumbled on the steps, unable to retain my balance due to his force and the speed that he was moving at. He steadied me but there was no concern in the action, it was simply an instinctive reaction.

"I lost track of time!" I said frantically. It was true, I had lost track of time, but I knew that that reason alone wouldn't subdue this fierce, irrational man. "I was…. traumatized!" I said quickly. He rolled his eyes in my direction, steering me into the now oh so familiar dining room where the rest of the originals were seated at the table, watching us with varying degrees of interest. The table was set with six places, marked by ornate patterned plates with images in blue, green and gold ordaining each plate and beautiful crystal wine glasses.

"Yes, I'm sure that the ordeal you had to endure of being locked in Kol's bedroom for an entire ten minutes was exceptionally stressful for you!" his voice was incredibly sarcastic, but still clearly angry. My cheeks turned bright red at his words. Finn's words earlier had pretty much confirmed that Kol had known about my snooping, and I was sure that Rebekah also knew, but I still didn't want it broadcasted (I wasn't sure why but the whole situation was just plain embarrassing and I wanted to forget it had ever happened). I glared at him with undisguised hatred, before roughly pulling my arm free from his iron clasp. Luckily he didn't resist because if he had such an act would surely have resulted in me losing that arm.

"Actually Niklaus," I hissed venomously at him, using his full name to add weight to my words. "I was referring to the incredibly traumatic incident where I was KIDNAPPED by a twisted family of PSYCHOTIC VAMPIRES!"

"ELENA!" Klaus roared, eyes flashing with rage. I scowled defiantly at him. Was he offended by my words? I sincerely hoped that I had.

"My apologies Klaus." I said in a repentant tone, forcing a sickly sweet smile. "I meant a family of psychotic vampires and one FUCKING DELUSIONAL HYBRID!" I screamed the last words at him. He snarled, his eyes changing colour and fangs extending as he lunged for me. However, before he could make contact with me, Elijah got up from his seat and gently, but firmly, placed his hands on my shoulders. He swiftly moved me out of his brother's warpath and gave him a friendly smile, one hand held up in a gesture of peace.

"Brother, Elena is new to our family. She does require time to adapt, which you haven't really allowed. I understand that she has spoken out of turn and that is inexcusable but you cannot let her rile you so. She is far younger than us and doesn't yet know any better. Remember, she has not had the upbringing that we have. We must make allowances for her youth and inexperience" I struggled slightly under Elijah's hands, my temper flaring at his comments about my upbringing (of course theirs must have been _so_ much better than mine), but he squeezed slightly, obviously warning me, and that prompted me to fall still. Klaus appeared to calm at his brother's words and he nodded slowly, before taking his seat. I was placed gently in mine and let my eyes fall to the table top so I wouldn't have to meet the gazes of the multiple vampires now staring at me after my outburst. From my brief glances at the others, it was clear that they weren't used to scenes like that too often. Kol looked like he'd been watching some enthralling TV show and seemed sad when it had ended so abruptly. There was silence in the room, except for the clink of glasses and plates being set down in front of each of us as someone (I assumed it was the girl from earlier) filled our glasses and gave us our dinner (potatoes with herbs, vegetables in a white sauce and some form of meat that I couldn't identify by sight or taste. All I knew was that it tasted pretty good, had I been in any other situation than this I might have enjoyed the meal. At least I knew I would starve during my time here, however long that might be).

After a while of us eating in silence, Klaus cleared his throat, drawing our attention to him before he spoke up.

"So Elena, how do you find your new room?" he asked me. I glanced over at him, unsure of how to frame my answer. I mean, the room was creepy due to its similarities but at the same time it was… kind of nice. Made me feel like I was in a safe place. I needed to phrase my response carefully; since he was clearly of a very fragile temperament (especially right now) and I didn't really want to set him off again. My head and arm still hurt from where he'd grabbed me before; I had no desire for a repeat performance of 'Klaus the maniac'.

"It's… erm… well… very…. It's certainly… to my taste?" It came out as a question although I didn't intend it to.

"I'm glad you like it. I wanted you to be as comfortable as possible" Comfortable wasn't the word that came to mind when I thought of that bedroom (or indeed, anything to do with this bizarre situation) but I wasn't going to start an unnecessary argument about it. I doubted my protests would change anything, so I wouldn't waste my time. Instead I decided to find out the answer to something I'd been wondering since I'd seen it earlier.

"Out of curiosity, how long did it take for you to prepare that?" I asked.

"Oh not long at all. I arranged it to be decorated on the way from Mystic Falls. They started immediately and they completed the decoration while you were unconscious. It would have been done sooner but Elijah contributed more details that we were unaware of which delayed the process slightly." I frowned and looked over at the man in question. He briefly lifted his head from contemplation of his food to meet my eyes and a small smile passed over his lips in acknowledgment of my unspoken question.

"It was based on my observations from my last visit. I hope it was accurate?" I nodded, remembering how he'd handled my trinkets during our conversation in my bedroom that night. Back when we'd been allies. Strained allies but still allies. Well at least that explained the similarities between the two rooms and now I knew that no one had been sneaking around my bedroom during my absence or prior to it without my knowledge in order to gain design ideas for Klaus' twisted dolls house home. Although, it didn't explain the bras and other clothing stocking the drawers and wardrobe upstairs that were all exactly in my size but quite frankly I was more than a little scared to ask about that. I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer to that one. It would probably disturb me more than the clothes and bedroom had.

"Personally, I'm curious as to what Elijah was doing in Elena's bedroom to begin with," said Kol, looking over at me with a smirk on his face. I'm sure he was imagining all kinds of disgusting scenarios with me and his brother. Well at least he wasn't transmitting them into my brain like he had when he'd ogled me earlier. Not yet anyway. I narrowed my eyes at him, receiving a cocky grin from him in response, and remained stubbornly silent, hoping no one else would ask. Unfortunately, Rebekah seemed to be part of a crusade to make me uncomfortable along with her brother. Did my presence threaten her in some way or was she simply angry about my relationship with Stefan? Those were the only two reasons I could think of for her hatred. Maybe there was really some deep secret, intensely psychological reason that I just didn't know about.

"Yes Elena? Why was my brother in your bedroom exactly?" I glanced at Elijah, my cheeks colouring again as he looked back at me with his dark unreadable eyes, although I wasn't entirely sure why since his visit had contained nothing nefarious or remotely lewd (as they were obviously suggesting) in the slightest.

"Umm… he… we were… " I didn't really want to come out and say that we'd been plotting against Klaus since I wasn't sure how any of the family would react to that statement but my mind was blank for any other excuse I could use.

"Well naturally Rebekah I was corrupting our sweet Elena's innocence in the way only I would be able to and granting her a satisfaction that far surpasses anything her darling Salvatore brothers could possibly provide her with, if they provide her with anything at all which I highly doubt." he said, voice smooth and smug. My eyes widened at his response and I let out an aggravated squeak.

"Elijah!" I stared at him, in shock. He'd never spoken like that before, so casually and unrestrained, and it was startling to say the least. I wondered which side of him was the real side; the polite distant side or this casual mischievous one. I wasn't sure which one I'd prefer. It was nice to see him relaxed but I was struggling to handle the arrogant Klaus and Kol as it was, I wasn't sure I could handle him acting in the same manner.  
He flashed me a cocky, playful grin which I'd never seen on his face before as Klaus and Kol began to laugh, obviously enjoying my flustered state that was the result of his teasing. Rebekah raised an eyebrow and gave me an assessing look, as if trying to decide whether Elijah was speaking the truth. I wondered what she'd do to me if she decided that I had actually slept with her brother. I glared at my plate, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Relax Elena, of course I'm joking." He said, smiling kindly at me. I started to relax. This was more like the Elijah I'd come to know and respect. It was nice to know he had a sense of humour but I would have preferred it not to rear its head at my expense. Then he spoke again. "I'm sure the Salvatores' are perfectly satisfactory to your needs. But you know that they simply don't compare to myself" My head shot up at this statement and I glared daggers at him, wishing I could kill him with my gaze. Naturally, his brothers found his comment hilarious (with the exception of Finn who was ignoring us all and eating his dinner with a look of resigned annoyance on his face). My scowl intensified at their humour.

"When did you become so cocky Elijah?" I said sharply, trying to reign in my temper.

"I'm not sure Elena, I think it must just flares up around you. Amongst other things that… erm… 'flare up' along with it," As he spoke, he winked at me, actually _WINKED_ at me. Fuck it. I didn't care if Klaus got mad. I didn't care if he tore Elijah's head off right now. I had to shut them up.

"Actually, he was in my room to make a deal with me and plot how to kill Klaus" I said sharply. The laughter ended abruptly and there was an exchange of glances between the two brothers. I felt relieved that they'd stopped laughing at my expense but the atmosphere in the room had suddenly become exceptionally tense to the point that it was almost unbearable. I almost regretted my rash words. I mean, of course Klaus had to know that Elijah had been plotting to kill him (considering he'd been on the verge of doing it before Klaus had convinced him to spare his life) but I guess he'd never really considered the implications of the attack fully. There was silence for a minute, before Kol spoke up. His voice was no longer amused or jokey, instead it seemed somewhat strained and rather uncomfortable. Well nice to know that he wasn't completely unshakeable.

"So how great is this connection between the six of us Klaus? Did the witch explain the details of it?" he asked, expression curious.

"No, not completely Kol, but she did explain most of the basics, such as the dreams, the emotions and things like that, all of which I told you about"

"So… do you know if she might have our… desires? You know, for blood and such things?" Klaus paused, frowning slightly as he considered this idea. It was clear that he hadn't thought about this possibility before. I felt a wave of fear sweep over me, watching him intently from under my eyelashes, keeping my eyes downcast as much as possible so as not to catch his gaze and attract his attention. I seriously hoped that they weren't actually considering what I thought that they were considering.

"You know Kol, I'm not entirely sure. That never came up in the conversation. I never even considered it. However it's a very interesting idea and one I think we should definitely investigate."

"What…" I said, staring at him. I couldn't even consider this idea as a reality. They couldn't really be serious about it; it had to be a joke, right? A sick joke, in keeping with their very disturbed sense of humour.

"Well Elena, if you're part of our family you must follow our rules, abide by our habits and in doing so, you must dine as we do if at all possible." He smiled angelically at me.

"You cannot be serious."

"Oh, but I am. Deathly serious in fact. Now, someone get that girl in here and we can feed her to Elena." I paled at his words, feeling the colour drain from me. I started to tremble, hands shaking so much that I almost dropped the cutlery still clasped in my hands.

"What a waste" muttered Rebekah.

"But… but you're not drinking fresh blood! You said I had to dine like you, so I… I…" I stammered, trying to come up with an excuse, any excuse, to get me out of this horrific situation I'd somehow found myself in. They didn't seem to have any blood so surely they couldn't make me drink it? I mean, if their idea was for me to act like them and 'dine as they did' I shouldn't have to drink blood if they weren't! It was just so cruel and downright sadistic!

"Fresh blood is far better," cut in Kol. I gave him a brief look of death, willing him to shut up (momentarily wishing that I had the power to compel his lips shut, permanently if possible but temporarily would suffice) before returning my pleading gaze to Klaus, hoping that he'd see sense and change his mind. I knew he was mad at me but this was going too far, he had to see that. His eyes swept over me momentarily as he seemed to consider what I'd said.

"While that's true Kol, I did say that Elena should dine as we did. I suppose at this time, a glass of blood will have to do. Besides, making her drink directly from the vein might be taking it a step too far. At least until we've taught her the best way to feed" His words inspired a new dread in me. Were they planning on turning me eventually? Surely not. Klaus needed me for my blood and he couldn't get that if I was a vampire. I hoped they weren't intending to do that. I mean, of course I'd considered the idea since I knew that was the only way I'd be able to be with Stefan long term but I would rather be dead than immortal and stuck with these people. Klaus lifted his glass which I had assumed was full of red wine. I'd never seen Damon or Stefan (or any vampire in fact) drink blood from a glass. Blood bags, yes. Glasses, never. I suppose it was there attempt at being 'regal' with their vampirism. Klaus passed his glass over to me, pressing it into my hand and forcibly curling my fingers around the elegant stem. I stared down at the thick red liquid. The smell of copper rose up and twisted up my nostrils, making me gag. I took a moment to clear my head and suppress my nausea, then set the glass down.

"I am not drinking that Klaus," I told him firmly, pushing the glass back towards him.

"You most certainly are," he said, pushing it back again. I shook my head, clamping my lips firmly shut as if the liquid could suddenly pour itself down my throat. Kol got up and came over to me. He clasped hold of me, keeping me in place. One hand gripped my chin, tilting my head back. Klaus got up as well and came over, picking up his glass of blood. He pressed it to my lips. I bit into my bottom lip, keeping it firmly held shut. Klaus growled and squeezed my nose shut, waiting until I would inevitably be forced to breathe. I tried to hold my breath but eventually I couldn't hold it anymore and my lips parted for a moment. Klaus instantly poured the toxic liquid down my throat. I gagged and spluttered at first, twisting my head violently in an attempt to dislodge him. I could feel the salty liquid coating the inside of my throat until that was all I could taste, all I could feel.

Then something strange happened. All of a sudden, my fear and nausea disappeared and was replaced with an intense, burning desire for the blood. It raged through my body, consuming me until all I could think about was my hunger, my lust for blood completely overwhelming my other senses. The smell no longer turned my stomach, instead it enticed me, drawing me towards the glass. I managed to break my arm free, the original restraining me releasing the limb when he saw I wasn't trying to get away anymore, and clasped hold of it, bringing it up to my lips and gulping down the liquid. Somewhere at the back of my mind, I knew that it still tasted disgusting but that seemed to be overridden by a peculiar spicy taste on my tongue that overwhelmed all my senses completely. All I could think about was the blood and how to get more of it into me. My body felt like an electric charge was running through it. I let out a strangled groan that I wasn't sure sprang from delight or disgust. The glass was tugged from my hands and I growled fiercely like an animal warning a rival away from its kill, desperately clinging to it. Whoever was attempting to remove it persisted, gently but firmly prying my fingers off of the glass and I was forced to reluctantly relinquish it, gasping for air as if I'd surfaced from the deepest ocean.

"Well that appears to have been an incredibly successful experiment." said Kol, sound smug. Klaus, who I expected to have a similar expression, looked up from regarding the nearly empty glass and levelled a glare at Elijah for some reason I didn't understand. I eyed the red stains on the rim, resisting the urge to snatch it back and lick it clean.

"So it would seem… except it was a test to see if Elena has an innate desire for blood due to the connection, not a test to see if Elijah could transfer his desire for blood onto her!" I looked over at Elijah, confused. He gave the briefest shrug of his shoulders, a gesture for my eyes only I realised.

"I assure you it wasn't me brother." He kept his eyes on his now empty plate as if there was something incredibly interesting on it. I frowned. He wasn't the type to lie (although I could see why he would in this situation, since he probably wanted to avoid Klaus' ire as much as I did) but if he hadn't been the cause for my sudden insatiable taste for blood then what, or who, had? Klaus narrowed his eyes at his brother but didn't question him or pursue the idea of someone helping me any further.

As abruptly as it had come, the influence disappeared. It was different to how it arrived, rather than just hitting me it seemed to fade away, leaving a numbness which I guessed was a side effect of being exposed to the enhance senses and then having that ability removed. Now that whatever had been affecting me had removed their hold, I was starting to feel the aftermath of the blood. My ability to think rationally had disappeared, replaced with the single, all-consuming thought of what I had just done and the knowledge that I was going to throw up very soon. I could feel the thick blood coating my throat like syrup, my windpipe constricting slightly. I suppressed a shudder at the revolting after taste. I wanted to ask to be excused but I knew that if I developed a sudden illness because of what I'd done, it would be obvious that someone had helped me swallow the blood. That would lead to Klaus getting mad and whoever had done it might not aid me if this experience was inflicted on me again in the future. Some might say that getting sick from the blood might have stopped the brothers from trying it on me again but I knew better. Any negative effects would only encourage them to do it when they were mad at me. And knowing me, they were probably going to be mad a lot. I forced myself to hold in the desire to vomit and choke down the food that was left on my plate, hoping that it would remove the taste from my mouth (which it didn't). I wasn't sure if I'd be forced to remain downstairs after I'd eaten but I hoped not. For all I knew, Klaus and his siblings had 'family time' or something. Maybe they were all avid monopoly or scrabble players and did that every night after dinner. While it would have been interesting and probably highly amusing to watch that, I really wanted to be excused. Plus I hated scrabble.

However, the nausea quickly grew too strong to supress. I knew I couldn't withhold it for much longer and I had to head to the bathroom before I vomited all over the table. That definitely wouldn't put me in their good graces.

"Klaus, may I please be excused?" I managed to steady my voice and kept my tone as polite as possible so that he'd have no reason to refuse my request out of spite. He gave me a regarding look before nodding slightly. He'd barely completed the action before I'd pushed back my chair and moved swiftly out of the room. I headed to my room, breaking into a run in the corridor once I knew I was out of their sight, and I made it a split second before the nausea turned into bile rising up my throat. I vomited violently into the toilet until there was nothing left in my stomach to throw up. The stomach acid seared through my throat and I choked at the painful burn. It was then that I felt a gentle hand on my back, rubbing it lightly and realised that someone was holding my hair out of the way to stop it getting dirty. I twisted my head slightly to see who it was and found myself gazing into Elijah's concerned eyes. He didn't speak, just rubbed my back until I had finished dry heaving into the toilet. He passed me a glass of water which I sipped greedily, relishing the feel of it slipping down my throat, so different from the noxious blood. I felt myself relaxing as it soothed the angry burning sensation that still raged in my gullet from the stomach acid. When it was empty, I slumped, exhausted both physically and emotionally, and he lightly pulled me to him, cradling me against his chest. I was reluctant at first, sitting rigid and motionless but eventually I allowed myself to sink into the warmth he provided. He didn't seem to care that my probably sick stained mouth was pressed against his as always perfect suit. My ear rested over his heart and the steady beating soothed me somewhat. I found myself thinking about how ironic it was that here, when I was in the most danger, the presence of my enemy was providing me with more comfort than the idea of any of my friends or freedom. But then again, maybe it was because it was hard to see Elijah as an enemy. The first time we'd met, yes but not after that. Even after his betrayal the night of his sacrifice, I just didn't see him that way, I'd made excuses for his actions because I knew at heart that he was a good person. His comments earlier had shaken me because I wasn't used to seeing him that way but then I realised that I didn't really know him that well. I'd had a slanted view of him, only seeing the sides that he let me see. I could view him as an ally but he might be my biggest threat in this place, simply because I didn't know what part of him was real or how to handle him the way I did with Kol and Klaus. I didn't want to think of him as an enemy because that would mean I was completely alone in here. I sighed softly and pushed the thoughts away, deciding to deal with things as they came and avoid the stress the conundrum was providing me with later. Instead I simply closed my eyes and let myself lay still in his arms as he stroked my hair, both of us sitting in contented silence.


	5. Chapter IV

It was surprisingly pleasant sitting in silence, wrapped up in Elijah's arms. There was no pressure to talk, just a comforting warm presence and familiarity between the two of us. He'd shrugged off his jacket and carefully folded it, before laying it over my feet to keep them from getting chilly on the cold white tiles of the bathroom. My head rested against his chest, listening to the steady thrum of his heartbeat, eyes half closed as I dozed lightly. I wasn't completely asleep nor fully awake, merely drifting somewhere between the two. I'd expected Elijah to leave when I started to drift but he had remained, holding me, silent and uncomplaining. I wasn't sure how much time had passed since the disastrous dinner and I didn't really care. Time would bring me back to a world I had no desire to return to. I felt safe in this space, cut off from the horrors of the rest of the house, drifting through time in peace and serenity. I knew it wouldn't, couldn't, last but I was happy to just remain in the moment for the time being. Who knew when I'd next get the chance to experience a peace like this?

After a while of us sitting together, Elijah spoke up. His voice wasn't loud but after the silence of the bathroom it was still slightly startling.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked quietly. I nodded. The nausea has subsided and largely so had the burn at the back of my throat, the residual being nothing that some water wouldn't quickly eradicate. Considering how bad I'd felt earlier, I was in remarkably good shape. I couldn't help but wonder if it had faded naturally or if it was a side effect of my connection to the vampires. Well, at least if it was from the spell, it meant that there were some perks to this and I fully intended to exploit such perks. It helped me a little to see the positives rather than the many negatives. I just hoped that more would appear over time and replace the negatives otherwise this was really going to suck a whole lot.  
Elijah lapsed into silence again now that he was reassured of my wellbeing, starting to rhythmically stroke my hair in a soothing manner. It was strange being so close to him, every instinct in my body should have been screaming at me to distance myself from him, but it felt right somehow. Like I belonged here, with him, in his arms. I tried not to dwell on the strangeness and instead I stared absently into space, taking in the white walls and white sink and white fittings until they blurred into one extended stretch of blank colour with the only brief break being the wooden door. I always despised white bathrooms. It was so overdone and it always made me feel like I was in a hospital room which I hated. Hospitals were places for bad news, like after I'd woken up following the accident. When they'd told me that my parents were dead.

"I'm sorry Elena," Elijah said suddenly, snapping me out of my morbid thoughts. I was grateful for the distraction, even though the remark was so abrupt and out of the blue that it took me a few moments to work out what he was saying and the implications of it. When it registered in my mind, I stirred in his arms, twisting to look up at his face which seemed filled with some intense sorrow that I didn't understand. I'd never seen him look so sad before. Something must really be troubling him. Then again, as I'd realised earlier, I didn't really know him well enough to make judgements like that. I supressed a sigh. I really needed to get a better understanding of this man and quickly. I considered myself to usually be very perceptive when it came to people (which most didn't believe considering the amount of times I wound up being tricked by vampires). I didn't like this uncertainty.

"Why are you apologizing?" I asked quietly, a slight frown on my face. "You've done nothing wrong Elijah." He sighed and rested his head against mine, burying his face in my hair. Normally this action, despite our previous prolonged closeness, would have been unnerving to say the least but it felt good. I was comfortable with him. His warm breath on my skin was pleasant, his gentle touch soothing and calming to me. It kept me anchored and stopped me from being swept up in the stormy sea of my mind, in the turmoil that threatened to engulf me at a moment's notice.

"Oh, but I have Elena. I have so many things to make up for…" his words didn't seem to be directed at me, more to himself. He seemed lost in his own recollections, past pains and losses, things he had to make up for. I wondered briefly if he was thinking about Katherine, then wondered why that idea bothered me so much. I bit my lip, hesitant to disturb him but I felt like I should.

"Like what?" I murmured. He shook his head slightly as if waking himself from a daze, my words reminding him of my presence. He looked down at me and stroked my cheek.

"Mainly for betraying you the night of the ritual. I can never forgive myself for that." He bowed his head, his expression full of pain and self-loathing from his actions. Hesitantly, I reached out and gently touched his arm, wanting to comfort him in any way that I could.

"You did it for the right reasons…" I began to say but he held up a hand to silence me. I obediently fell quiet, looking at him with worry plain on my face.

"Not just that. Also for my part in all of this." He was blaming himself for my capture? Even though I'd been mad when I'd seen him aiding his siblings, I'd never blamed him for it. He hadn't taken me. This was Klaus' fault, not his. He had to know that.

"None of this is your fault Elijah. I mean, you were in a box at the time with a dagger through your chest when Klaus took me. Nothing you could have done. I mean, not unless you've got some secret power where you can stop evil plans while you're… unconscious or… well… dead. Which I assume you don't? Cause if you do, that would have come in handy a number of times" He ignored my very poor attempt at humour and continued moodily staring into space with gloomy purpose. I sighed, wanting to shake him from this sullen state.

"I could have resisted, rejecting the notion of the ritual rather than cooperate as I did. If I'd tried I probably could have convinced Klaus to take a different course of action." I almost scoffed at that. I wasn't sure even Elijah could change Klaus' mind once it was firmly made up. He sighed again. "Or even better yet, I could have just followed the plan the night of the sacrifice and then Klaus would be dead and you and your family would be safe." I sighed. If only it were as easy as he made out. I would give anything for a simple, peaceful life but I knew that there was nothing that I could do. If it was as simple as the removal of Klaus, I would have moved heaven or earth to destroy him but things weren't that simple. There was no quick fix and then life would be back to normal and people I loved would stop dying.

"Elijah, I'm the doppelganger. Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. I don't get time off from who I am. I'm pretty much always in danger. I can barely go a week without someone threatening me or my family, or trying to kidnap me, or taking a chunk out of my neck. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I have a giant neon sign over my head half the time saying 'Doppelganger here, please harm'. I hate it, but I've kind of got used to it by this point. Maybe not got used to it but accepted it anyway. I know that even if you'd killed Klaus that night, someone else would take his place. Probably someone even worse with less of a sense of humour." He nodded slightly, reluctantly accepting that what I said was true. "I mean, look at Buffy. Every time she and the Scooby gang killed the big bad for the series, a new one popped up the next week, getting bigger and badder until eventually they had to fight the first evil and the whole of Sunnydale got destroyed" He stopped nodding and looked at me with confusion. I smiled briefly, slightly enjoying his confusion at my pop references. He decided to ignore it and moved onto the bit he did understand.

"That doesn't make what I did right Elena. I shouldn't have betrayed you. You gave me your trust and I abandoned you when you needed me the most."

"You did it for the right reasons. You did it to get your family back. That is the one thing I can understand after everything that's happened to me and mine. I can't hate you for it. And I won't. Ever." I told him stubbornly, folding my arms. He sighed softly but I thought I saw a flicker of a smile on his mouth.

"You shouldn't make excuses for me. Or anyone for that matter, at least not while you're residing with us. You have to accept our actions at face value or you will end up getting stabbed in the back. But anyway… even if it was for 'the right reasons', as you say, which personally I do not believe as there is never a good reason for breaking a person's trust, I do not deserve your forgiveness." He seemed to hold me a little tighter as he spoke, as if afraid I'd suddenly disappear. "And you deserve far better than what you have. Better than me as your ally."

"Ally? Is that what you are?" I asked, tentatively, peeking up at him. I liked the idea of having an ally and I was glad that, out of all the people here, Elijah was willing to fill that role for me. When I met his eye, he was watching me intently as if fearing I'd reject his offer.

"It's what I hope to be. I may not be able to actively help you as much as I would like to but I can aid you in other ways."

"What ways exactly?" I asked, curious. I wondered if he really did have some secret ancient original vampire powers that I wasn't aware of. I wouldn't be surprised actually. It seemed every week I learnt something new about the vampires, and any other supernatural creature that just happened to pop in for a visit.

"I can intercede with Klaus on your behalf when necessary, as I did earlier to prevent him from harming you. And I can offer you advice when I think you will benefit from it. After all, these are my family and I am the eldest sibling. I know them better than anyone else does. I helped to raise most of them in fact." I nodded slowly, considering this. It was true that I had very little idea how to handle the situation I'd found myself in. I'd been walking on eggshells since the first instant I'd woken up here. Elijah was looking more and more appealing as an ally, even without my personal opinion of him taken into account. I preferred him to the other vampires but he also seemed to be the most compassionate, most wise and well… he was also the only one who really seemed to care in the slightest about me. I didn't really have many other options for allies, not ones I could trust not to stab me in the back in any case.

"You're right. I know that I'm in way over my head here. And I can see that your help would be invaluable. I'd be a fool to turn it down when offered to me." I gently prised Elijah's arms off of me as I spoke. As I moved, I noted a momentary flash of expression dart across his face that was too brief to identify completely but from what I could discern it looked like hurt. I got up, stretching out my body which had grown cramped from my confinement in his tender grasp. He looked at me, his expression confusing. "I'm getting sore on that floor. We can carry on talking in my bedroom, right?" I asked. I was worried that my movement would prompt him to leave, like maybe the bathroom was a safe spot where the others couldn't hear us or something and he didn't want to be detected being sympathetic, but he just nodded to me and got up as well. I went into the bedroom and seated myself cross legged on the bed, watching Elijah through the open bathroom door. Before heading for the bedroom, he first retrieved the empty glass from the floor and refilled it. He pulled a packet of aspirin from his pocket and tried to pass it to me. I shook my head and pushed his hand away but he persisted.

"I'm fine, I swear Elijah." I told him.

"Trust me, you'll need these. Maybe not now but soon definitely. Your head is a free for all right now. I asked the witch privately about the possible side effects of the connection and she said you may get frequent headaches. She's going to look for healing herbs or something similar that will provide stronger relief, maybe even stop it entirely, but this will be passable for now." I felt touched by his concern and placed the pills on the bedside table along with the water.

"I'll take some later, I promise. Thank you." I smoothed my hair back from my face, taking a deep breath as I concentrated on the task at hand. "Now, what can you tell me about this cluster fuck of raging psychopaths that you call your family?" I was worried my comment would have offended him and caused him to refuse to answer my questions. But he didn't react to my rather rude remarks, instead he merely sat down opposite me, his face one of contemplation.

"Each of my siblings is a complicated character and will require different means for you to prevent them from killing you. Or rather, since you currently can't die until we do, this knowledge will be to prevent them from maiming you." I gulped slightly. I was sure with my new super-duper healing powers, they could have a great time torturing me if they really wanted. "Now, you've already witnessed my brother's temper. Unfortunately, Rebekah and Kol are no better. They are less erratic than Klaus but the slightest thing can set them off. They inherited that from our father. You must alter your mannerisms or risk incurring their wrath. For example, your feisty personality, although delightfully amusing to watch, needs to be toned down somewhat when you speak with Klaus. It provokes him far too much. I am not suggesting that you act weak, in fact Klaus is fond of strong women so your strength is an advantage, I merely advise that you select your battles more carefully and not act rashly over menial matters just to spite him. When faced with adversity from him you need to pause, decide if conflict is necessary, and if you find that you must argue with him, speak rationally and calmly. Use logic rather than anger to subdue him."

"Like you did earlier?" I recalled his steady, soft voice that he had used earlier, his body held firm and undeniably strong but not threatening, like he was trying to soothe a wild animal. I was sure I could mimic his actions if I was in that situation. Well, I could if I remembered too next time he made me mad and didn't stab him with something long and point first.

"Exactly. My words naturally carry more weight as his elder. I like to think that he looks up to me, at least a little bit. When at all possible I will intercede on your behalf but if I am not available, and there will be times when I shall not be there, you must do your best to calm him. Not just in situations that directly affect you but also when he acts angrily towards others. Rebekah and Kol wouldn't want to calm him and Finn is too absorbed by his own thoughts to prevent anger. You must be the peace keeper Elena, when I am not here."

"Okay…" I said slowly, taking in his words. "But how do I do that?" He leant forward slightly as if telling me a great secret. His voice was hushed conspiratorially when he spoke.

"Whether he knows it or not, and I am convinced that he does not, Klaus craves the affection and approval of his family. If he denies you something you deserve, then deny him what he wants most. Eventually he will grant it to you. Just don't squander this on trivialities or you'll be viewed as being as childish as Rebekah in his eyes and he will never respect you." I raised an eyebrow, looking at him. It was unusual for him to say anything disparaging about his family. He shrugged. "I am not blind to her faults Elena, nor to the faults of any of my family. I see them for what they are. Rebekah is my sister. I love her. But she is immensely annoying at times and incredibly selfish. Unfortunately, there's very little advice I can give you regarding her and how to handle her. She seems to have an irrational hatred of you that is only being restrained by the fact that Klaus has forbidden her from harming you. Fortunately her loyalty to him surpasses her anger towards you. That is my sister's one pleasant trait, she is unflinchingly loyal. My only suggestion for you when it comes to dealing with her is simply to avoid her as much as is possible for you."

"I'm good with that." He hide a slight smile and I felt one tug at the corners of my own mouth.

"Good. You look far better with all of your limbs attached to your body." I felt my smile growing and forced myself to focus on the topic at hand. I wasn't sure how much uninterrupted time we would have and I wanted to get at least some basic information about the other vampires.

"Okay, so I'm the peacemaker. I need to be reasonable to Klaus and avoid Rebekah. What about Kol?" Kol was the one that scared me the most, after Klaus, mainly because they seemed to be so similar.

"Kol I think you'll have very little trouble handling especially with your witty and sarcastic tongue. He seems to enjoy that part of you." I thought I noticed a small smirk on his face when he spoke and I narrowed my eyes, irritated that he was amused by this.

"I, personally, don't want him enjoying any part of me Elijah." I sniped back. He laughed.

"Well that's going to be difficult Elena. After all there is so much of you to enjoy." I folded my arms and gave him a withering look. This charming semi-flirtatious Elijah was... rather distracting.

"Like what?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, of course I was referring to the pleasure of your company." He inclined his head slightly like he was bowing to me. I couldn't help a small giggle at the gesture.

"Nice save." He bowed his head in acknowledgement, smiling to himself.

"Anyway, so you can be spiteful towards Kol. In fact, I encourage it. You must make sure you are as strong as possible in both word and form around him, else he will take advantage of you. Engage him frequently with fierce discussions and conversation. Banter. Argue often." I nodded, taking it in. This mean that I was going to have to actively seek out the annoying young vampire and try to talk to him, which I really didn't like the idea of. But if Elijah said I should, then I guessed that I'd have to. I did say I'd listen to his advice after all. Elijah continued with his advice and I scolded myself for not paying attention. I could miss something important if I wasn't careful. "However, there are obviously limits. If you push him too far then he'll attack without warning. Know your boundaries. He's a tricky one, slippery as a snake. There are no signs before he strikes, or at least not ones that are visibly obvious. But, once you have an understanding for how he ticks, it becomes easier to tell when you are on thin ice and when to stop speaking." I nodded, listening intently. "I suppose that's really all I can tell you. The rest you'll have to learn from experience. The eyes of a brother would obviously be clouded, preventing clear judgement so I cannot risk giving you any further information that may hinder your own observations." I realised that he'd not mentioned one brother of his, Finn. The silent conundrum. While Kol and Klaus seemed the most dangerous, the ones who I required the most help in resisting, Finn was the one I was the most curious about. The little I'd observed was his nearly constant expression of boredom. Oh and there was the fact that he'd rescued me from Kol's bedroom. I couldn't forget that. But then again I couldn't read too much into it either.

"What about…?" I hesitated, wondering if there was some reason that Elijah had avoided mentioning Finn. I didn't want to bring it up if it was a tender subject for him.

"Finn? He is… difficult. Not in the way Kol or Klaus is but still difficult. He truly despises what we are. I'm not fond of this… affliction but I try to see the best in it and behave in a noble manner when possible. Finn hates our family, himself and our mother for inflicting this on him. If he could end his life then he would, even at the price of the rest of us. I think the only reason he hasn't killed himself already is… well, I'm not even really sure why he hasn't to tell you the truth" I bit my lip, unable to come up with a response to his comments. It seemed sad. Cruel almost. He had all that life and he spent it suffering. Stefan hated what he was but not to that extent. He at least could find pleasure in life, and his friends and family. Well, maybe less his family since Damon had a nasty habit of killing his friends.

"That's so sad…" I said softly, biting my lip.

"Yes." There was really nothing else he could say. I decided to change the subject and fast. I was enjoying Elijah's company and I didn't want to drive him away with topics he was uncomfortable with.

"Will they make me do that again? Drink blood I mean?" I hoped the answer would be no. The very thought of it made my stomach turn in revulsion and I clasped my hand over my mouth to stop myself from vomiting again.

"I don't think they will Elena. Klaus can be cruel but in his mind it is a necessity. As long as you behave yourself he has no reason to be cruel to you. Besides, they all saw the effect it was having on you. None of them is eager to clean up copious amounts of your vomit when it would be much easier to come up with something more traumatic and less messy."

"Well… that's… comforting?" It sounded like a question because I wasn't really sure what to make of that statement. I was relieved they wouldn't force feed me more blood but the idea of them coming up with something worse wasn't exactly relieving to me.

"The only reason I can think of for them to attempt it again is to try and lure out whoever aided you. But even that is unlikely to work because the mental connection is to you, not to anyone else so unless you knew who had helped you there is no way for them to know. Klaus would know this. I doubt he would waste time on such a futile exercise." I sighed in the small amount of relief I allowed myself at his words. Unfortunately my relief was short lived because Elijah continued, quickly ridding me of any comfort I'd gained at the prospect of not having to drink blood again. "However you must be prepared for them to test you in such manners as they did at dinner. They will push you to your boundaries and far over to get a reaction from you." I groaned and buried my face in my pillow. Elijah gently rubbed my back in a comforting gesture.

"So Klaus says I'm his family and the rest of them are hazing me?"

"That's probably the best way to view it, yes. I'm sure they'll let up after a little while" I rolled onto my back and eyed him sceptically. I decided not to voice my concerns about how unlikely that was and changed the subject instead, to something that had really been bugging me since I woke up.

"So… how did Klaus convince you all to take part in this? I mean, if I woke up after taking an unscheduled dirt nap after being in a box with a dagger stuck into me for an extended period of time and the cause of that decided that they wanted me to participate in some twisted game of happy families, I'd be more than a little bit pissed." He sighed softly and when he spoke, his words were slow and thoughtful, strained in a strange way.

"We did take a little convincing you'll be happy to hear. Forgiveness wasn't immediate. He had to persuade us to cooperate and we did make him work for it, trust me. He was clever with it though. He set it up so that when we woke up he was nowhere to be found and only you were, tied unconscious on the table. That was enough to distract us all from our anger and then Rebekah came in waving the white flag on his behalf. After she has explained enough to keep us calm for the time being, he entered and told us his plans for you and for our family. Together they put forward a very good case." I scoffed audibly, thinking that no matter how good his case might have been, it could hardly make up for what he'd done. I was going to voice my opinion but Elijah's pointed look advised me to keep silent and listen to him instead. "I know it sounds improbable Elena but that is what happened. However, I think it would have taken more work from Klaus to convince us if you hadn't been there. For one, I'm sure that my brothers would not have so easily believed his plan without the evidence that doppelgangers existed." I frowned. I thought doppelgangers were common knowledge amongst the vampire siblings. Elijah noted my confusion and elaborated. "Finn was daggered before Katerina was born, so he had no idea of the existence of your kind, and Kol never met her so I doubt he knew, but of course they had both met Tatia when she was alive, meaning that the presence of a doppelganger, of you, was rather impressive to them." They may have been impressed but I was still far from convinced by his explanation.

"That's all it took? Me lying on a table? Boy, how did they react when they saw a television for the first time?" I said, giving him a scathing look.

"We weren't completely willing Elena. We had a small altercation with him first." Elijah admitted. I looked at him quickly, making sure I understood correctly.

"You guys got in a fight?"

"Let's just say it's a good thing that Klaus' designers are very quick workers, otherwise the house wouldn't have been nearly as perfect as he wanted it." I gazed at him, wanting details. He sighed. "Yes, we fought with Klaus. We attacked him on sight when he entered the room, of course we did." I suppressed my urge to let out a rousing cheer at this statement. I would have been worried if Elijah and his brothers could so quickly forgive Klaus. "Anyway, after we had calmed, he persuaded us. We each had our own reasons for agreeing. Kol was particularly eager to help after seeing you. I think Finn agreed because he would rather suffer beside us than suffer alone."

"What about you?" I asked softly, curious.

"I agreed to stay because… I was concerned for you." I smiled softly.

"Thank you Elijah." He smiled in response and gently wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close to him.

"I had another reason. A long time ago, I made a promise to my family. I would care for them, always and forever. I intend to keep that promise." I nodded slowly, taking this in. "You're aware of what this means?"

"It means that if the choice is between your family and me that you'll pick your family. And that's the way it should be."

"No Elena." He said softly. "It means when you get in trouble I will take care of you. You are family now. And we protect our family. Always and forever."


	6. Chapter V

Eventually, after hours had passed since dinner, Elijah left my room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. It was very late by this point. The sky was pitch black outside my window, a full moon high in the sky, shining through the window. I changed for bed and curled up under the thick duvet. There was a low howl from somewhere in the grounds that disturbed me as I wondered what fierce creature was out there. I was glad that I was safe inside. Something I never thought I'd ever say in a house full of psycho vamps. I covered my head with a pillow to block out the sound.  
I was tired but I thought that after everything that had happened, along with the unease that always came with unfamiliar surroundings, I would struggle to sleep. However, after a few minutes of tossing and turning, drifting off only to jerk awake moments later, I finally managed to slip into a restless sleep.

I opened my eyes to white, blinding at first but then it faded into my surroundings. It was snowing heavily. The crystalline flakes caressed my skin, resting there for a moment before they melted into cold pools of water on my arms. They weren't freezing cold like normal snowflakes, just providing a mild chill to my body, more like a numbing sensation than the standard sharp bite of frost. I glanced down at myself, taking in my unfamiliar clothes. Usually when I found myself wandering around in strange unrecognizable places, I was dreaming and I was usually dressed in pyjamas. Today however, I was dressed in a flowing red satin gown that twisted around my ankles, glittering scarlet beading around the neck and across the sash around my middle. A red cloak made of what felt like thick velvet was draped around my shoulders, long enough to brush the snowy ground, cutting a swathe through the snow behind me. My eyes roamed my surroundings, searching for something to identify where I was. It wasn't anywhere that I recognized but then again I didn't really have much to go on to help with identifying this place. All I could see was trees. Trees and more trees. A lot of trees in fact. Endless rows of great looming pines, the tall bushy kind you saw in those perfectly set up Christmas scenes on cards, surrounded me forming a leafy wall. When I looked up I could barely see the sky through the mesh of interlocking branches and the haze of snow that fell into my eyes, blurring my sight, but it appeared to be night time as far as I could tell. There was no sun light visible at any rate. No stars or moon either. Just complete impenetrable darkness. Yet for some reason, I could clearly see everything around me. It was like I was holding a light that's glow cast a wide circle for me to see by yet there was no light that I could see. I took a hesitant step, my feet crunching on the snow. The light followed me as I moved. I glanced down at my feet and saw that they were uncovered, but I didn't feel any chill from the snow, unlike the rest of my skin that made contact with it. Most likely they'd already got frostbite and gone numb and were about to fall off or something horrific like that.

I heard a soft growl and stopped the contemplation of my possibly dying feet to look around in search of the source. A wolf, fur blacker than the sky above and eyes a fierce burning yellow, was stood a few feet away from me, watching me with hungry intent. I took a hesitant step back, uncertain. Surprisingly, I felt no fear at the sight of the wolf (I guess by this point I'd kind of got desensitized to the presence of dangerous creatures. Vampires kind of overshadowed wolves on the danger level after all), instead I felt almost relieved seeing him watching me, like I'd been waiting for him (I had a strange sense that he was a male, just like I had a sense that he wouldn't hurt me). It also actually made me feel safer seeing him. I mean, at least I wasn't alone and he didn't seem dangerous so he served for sufficient company. He looked me dead in the eye, his golden orbs seeming to soften as he did so, and I felt for a moment like he was trying to tell me something, before he turned and padded off into the darkness, his fur blending in completely so it seemed as if he had just disappeared. I wasn't sure why but I felt like I needed to follow him, so I did. It was preferable to standing around and waiting for something nasty to pop out after all. I moved briskly after him, trying to catch up. It only took a few moments before he came into view again, striding purposefully through the darkened trees, eyes fixed on wherever we were headed. We moved through the forest, me a few feet behind the animal out of respect more than fear. I took the opportunity to run my eyes over the sleek creature. Even I could appreciate the beauty and grace, the deadly efficiency of such a magnificent beast. Having never been this close to a wolf who wasn't really a person who was trying to kill me, I was silently marvelling in fascination at his subtle but lethal form, the way his midnight fur, glossy as a raven's feathers, rippled over his taut muscles as he slinked through the thick snow.

Then suddenly, he wasn't there anymore. I blinked and he was gone as if he'd never been there, merely a figment of my imagination (which in a way he still was). I took a few more steps, looking around in case I could spot him lurking in the shadows nearby but there was no sign that I could find. He hadn't even left any paw prints on the snow for me to follow. I sighed, an irrational stab of loss and hurt darting through my body at his absence.

I was pretty sure I was dreaming by this point which accounted for the bizarreness but it was a very strange dream even for me. Normally things actually happened in my dreams. Like, I was terrorized by vampires and other horrors. Much like real life. Or I got those really bizarre ones that never make sense where aliens and talking lasagne were flying about. That was probably indicative of some deep seated emotional trauma but they just came across as weird to me. I wasn't complaining about the peace and quiet that this dream was providing, it just seemed rather odd. I guessed that it was because of the stress of the situation that my brain was going to be kind for once and was trying to give me a brief reprieve or something like that. I sat down on the snow with a thump, glanced around quickly to check I was still completely alone, confirmed I was, then shrugged and lay down fully in the snow. I liked snow a lot. I decided to make the most of this situation and enjoy it like I used to when I was little. I hadn't had time to play in snow since long before my parents died and I missed it. Playing with Jeremy and Matt had been the highlight of every winter. Since, no doubt, something bad was on the verge of happening to me, I figured that I should probably just revel in the lack of horror for the time being until my mind decided it had been kind enough and started to torment me again. I spread my arms and moved them slowly back and forth through the snow, forming the wings for a snow angel. I closed my eyes, enjoying the slight numbness that passed through my limbs as I lay there, completely content. I laughed softly, feeling the snowflakes caress my cheeks. I sighed softly, wondering if I lay there for long enough, would I end up completely covered in snow. Something that always troubled and thrilled me about snow was that it was so beautiful, yet it was as deadly as any animal. I could lay here and freeze to death, be covered in a blanket of snow like I was tucked into some morbid bed.

"You make a truly beautiful angel, Elena" said a soft voice from the shadows. I opened my eyes, lifted my head and saw Kol leant against the trunk of one of the towering trees. I wondered how long he'd been there, watching me. I bit my lip, regarding him, like the wolf, with curiosity rather than fear. He was wearing tight dark trousers and an unbuttoned black shirt that hung open, baring the marbled muscles of his pale chest to the elements. He looked eerily beautiful in the strange half-light. Other worldly in a way. Like a fallen angel. Fallen because his expression was anything but angelic. The wolf from earlier stepped out of the shadows behind him and came to stand at his side, his head resting affectionately against Kol's leg.

"But… I think you're far too dark to be an angel. Deep down in your heart. You're as dark as the rest of us." I frowned, wondering what he meant by that. He fell silent and didn't explain his comment. I watched them both with interest for a few minutes, waiting to see if he'd speak, but neither made any movements towards me and no more words were uttered. I got slowly to my feet, preparing to make some scathing sarcastic comment towards him about stalking and then question him about his bizarre statements on my supposedly 'dark heart'. However, my tongue clearly had other ideas because when I spoke, the words weren't mine.

"You are late. It's not polite to keep a lady waiting." I told him with mock reproach. He put on an apologetic expression and bowed low.

"I'm tremendously sorry Miss Elena." He sauntered over to me and took my hand in his. His palm was cold against my warm skin, eliciting a quiet gasp from me at the contact. "Forgive me?" He kissed my hand softly, brushing his teeth against the soft skin. The savagery that lurked under his surface was evident even in that brief gentle gesture. I wanted to flinch, recoil in horror but at the same time I didn't. I wanted more. I had no idea what was wrong with me. I giggled softly and wrapped an arm around his neck, resting my hand on the nape of his neck. He grinned and looped his arms around me, pulling me flush against his body, his hands sliding down from my waist to rest on my ass.

"I'll forgive you this time. Next time I will not be so kind." I told him, my voice light and teasing, as I gently brushed my fingers against his cheek. His skin was smooth like a baby's without a trace of stubble. I wondered how old he'd been when he'd been turned. I sighed softly, wondering if it had been his choice or if he'd been robbed of his life by someone else. I tried to dislodge such thoughts, I couldn't afford sympathy at this moment. The actions and words that were coming from me were not my own and they were confusing and startling. Normally in my dreams I was at least in control of my own body even if I usually had no control over anything else that happened to me. I didn't like having no control of what I could do. However, the actions I was being forced to do weren't unpleasant, despite the confusion of my predicament. In fact, I liked it. Being this close to Kol was… not nice, nice was too soft, too sweet, to describe the sensations pumping through my blood. Nothing about Kol was sweet. His touch, however brief it was against my skin, was like fire, alighting every part of me and sending molten lava coursing through my veins to the deepest, most secret parts of my body. I trembled slightly at the brush of his fingers. He gave a devilish smirk, clearly aware of the effect that his light, teasing touches were having on me.

"I'll have to keep that in mind for the future," he said, gently skimming his lips down the side of my throat. I let out a soft groan in delight, my head leaning to the side to expose more of my neck to him. The hand not grasping the back of his throat fell limply at my side. The wolf padded over and gently nuzzled my hand, licking my fingers. I smiled fondly at him, feeling a sense of familiarity that I didn't understand awakened by the touch of the animal. I entwined my fingers briefly in his fur, before releasing him. Kol continued to lightly run his lips up and down my neck, averting my attention back to him and drawing soft noises from my mouth in response. The wolf nipped at my finger; the action was playful but his sharp fangs cut through my flesh with ease. I yelped softly, startled more than hurt, and pulled my hand away. The wolf whined, head down, his expression as closed to apologetic as an animal could get. I looked at my hand. The damage was minimal, a single bead of blood that ran down the side of my fingers. I bit my lip and went to wipe the blood on the dress, a little disappointed at having to stain the fabric but then again, that was what usually happened to my outfits at the Mystic Falls parties.

"Let me see…" said Kol softly, taking my hand before I could wipe it away. He sounded almost concerned (not a sentiment I expected Kol to know let alone be able to emote successfully). He examined the tiny injury with careful precision, then brought the digits to his mouth. He ran his tongue softly over the pad of my finger, soothing the small amount of pain, then he gently placed it in his mouth and sucked lightly to remove any trace of the blood. I moaned softly, then abruptly shook myself, trying to rid myself of whatever spell he'd placed on me. The control that had been over me seemed to waver, allowing me to pull away from him and take a step back, gaining some ground to give me a chance to think straight. He raised an eyebrow, frowning slightly at my retreat. Watching him, I had a sudden idea. I knelt and scooped a handful of snow up, shaping it into a rough ball. He watched me intently, visibly confused by my actions. I felt a spark of mischievousness alight in me and I hurled the ball at him, hitting him square in the face. He let out a startled cry which struck me as incredibly funny.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, brushing snow off his face. I laughed and grabbed another handful, preparing myself for a second attack before he got the chance to retaliate.

"What's the matter Kol? Can't handle me and a little bit of snow?" I asked innocently, tossing my second snow ball at him. He glanced at the wolf for a moment, seemingly at a loss of what to do. A brief silent exchange passed between them as they locked gaze. Slowly, Kol lifted his head and looked at me. I remembered what Elijah had said about his brother being unpredictable and I bit my lip, scared that my snow assault would prompt him to attack me suddenly.

"You little minx." He chuckled "You're going to regret that!" He grabbed a fistful of snow and hurled it at me. I let out a joyous shout as he began to rain snowballs down on me. I shrieked and ran for cover, hiding myself behind the nearest tree in an attempt to shelter from the vicious frozen attack. The wolf barked and chased after me, yipping like an excited puppy. I laughed, crouching down in the shadow of the tree to gather snow into an arsenal for a retaliation attack. The wolf sniffed at me momentarily and decided that the snow was more fun. He continued barking, running around and trying to catch the snowflakes in his mouth. I giggled at the ridiculous sight, momentarily distracted from my plots of snow based revenge. He darted towards me, knocking me off my feet. I fell backwards in a sprawled heap on the snow. His tongue ran across my cheek, licking me excitedly. I tried to bat him off, unable to contain my giggles. He persisted as I squirmed, helplessly underneath him. I heard a dark chuckle and quickly found myself righted as Kol scooped me up into his arms. He set me back on my feet and before I'd managed to get a sense of my bearings again, he pressed me against the tree, arms placed either side to keep me trapped underneath him. I looked down at the ground, smiling shyly to myself. I was a little wary of him in this vulnerable position I'd found myself in. Kol cupped my cheek lightly, gently lifting my head so that my eyes met his.

"I like our games Elena. Playing with you is fun." There was a boyish smile on his lips and a sparkle in his eyes as he spoke, making me almost able to forget how dangerous he was, but beneath that I sensed an undercurrent of something dark and threatening, which made fear run through my veins. I still felt happy from our romp in the snow or maybe I had just lost control of my body again, I wasn't sure. Either way, something made me smile widely and throw my arms around him, hugging him tight to me. It was strange but I was just so happy, in a way that I hadn't been for a long time. I looked up at him, smiling with a fondness I didn't really understand but rather liked. He gently stroked my cheek, carefully brushing stray flakes of snow from my face and a few that had landed in my hair. He leant down and pressed his lips lightly against mine. It started off soft at first but quickly intensified into a fierce kiss, a clashing of tongues and teeth. His hands wound into my hair, tangling and tugging roughly. I felt his fangs probing at my bottom lip and eagerly let them pierce it. He sucked softly at my bottom lip, getting the blood flowing from the small wound, before he released it with a soft gasp of pleasure. The blood was smeared between our mouths like macabre lipstick as we kissed hungrily. I groaned in twisted delight, part of my mind horrified by this scene but another larger part not caring. I ran my hands all over his body, wanting… no, craving more of him. I reluctantly broke the kiss for breath and his name slipped from my lips, enticing him to go further. He took the hint, his hands finding the strings of my cloak and swiftly untying it so that it fell to the ground, pooling around my feet. He pressed me more firmly against the tree, the rough bark digging into my back and the now exposed skin of my arms but causing me nothing more than mild discomfort which was quickly forgotten as Kol began to kiss down my neck, across to the plunging neckline of my crimson dress. I moaned softly and ran my fingers through the soft strands of his hair, toying with the tiny hairs at the nape of his neck. His teeth latched on lightly just above my breast, worrying the flesh there. I moaned loudly, any thoughts I might have had about halting him driven from my head to be replaced by incoherent noise. I forgot how much I hated him, how wrong this was. I forgot my own name and my family. All I could think about was Kol, his hands on my body, holding me, exploring me, consuming every part of me. When he released his hold on my skin, a livid purple mark was left in his wake. The brief break wasn't long enough for me to reform coherent thought. He quickly moved his mouth to the other side, repeating his actions until there was a second mark mirroring the first. His lower half pressed flush against mine, letting me feel every muscle of his legs and his hard member through his excessively tight trousers. His teeth hooked onto the shoulder strap of my dress and slid it down my arms. He ran his hands down my side to the hem of my dress, before starting to move them up again, hitching up the material as he went. He lifted it to my waist as he continued kissing and nipping my throat. I took my hands from the back of his neck to his shoulders, pushing off his open shirt, wanting to expose him and feel his bare skin with an eagerness I'd never felt before, not even with Stefan. It fluttered to the floor and seemed to disappear into the snow, fading away like it had never been. I blinked, trying to work out if it was a trick of the eye. Kol's roaming hands drew my attention back to him before he pulled away from me for a moment, eyes roaming my body with undeniable hunger. I felt like an animal had taken over my body. My hair was messed, my breath coming in short ragged gasps as I eyed him with the same intense lust I saw in the depths of his eyes. He ran his nail across his chest, hissing softly in pain as the nail left a thin line of scarlet behind it. My eyes were locked on his as he did so and without words, I knew instinctively what he wanted me to do. I felt drawn to the blood and instantly lowered my mouth to his chest. There was no repulsion in my actions as I ran my tongue along the line, revelling in the taste of it. It was like honey and cinnamon and something else that I couldn't identify no matter how hard I tried to place it. I wanted more desperately. I latched my mouth around the cut, drinking hungrily. I wanted all of it, all of him. He pulled my face away from his chest and I growled, trying to reattach my mouth but he lifted my head so that my eyes met his and held my cheeks firmly. He gently wiped some stray blood that lingered on my lips, bringing the stained finger to his mouth and sucking it clean. I was still breathing heavily, craving more of his blood, more of his touch. I'd never felt so out of control of my body and I loved it.

"Patience darling." He told me, stroking my cheek. I whined softly, unable to speak anymore. He chuckled before kissing me hard, reigniting my passion for his body rather than just his blood. We battled fiercely for a few moments before I succumbed happily to his touch. My hands ran down his chest, exploring the muscled dips and planes. I reached the button of his trousers and toyed with it but didn't undo it despite wanting to badly. He broke the kiss and hissed in my ear. "Don't tease love, it's not nice." I smirked and unbuttoned his trousers but made no further moves to undress him.

"If you wanted nice, you should have picked a different girl. I'm dark hearted remember?" I told him, looking up at him through lidded eyes. He let out a playful growl and his hand tore through my dress leaving me bare underneath. I gave an affronted squeal but I didn't really mean it. The snow felt pleasant on my flesh and I spread my arms to get more. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly, and spun me around, my good mood infecting him. We tumbled to the ground in a heap, our lips meeting in the confusion. It wasn't rough and dominating like our previous kisses, it was playful and messy, like the sloppy childish kisses I used to share with Matt when we were still dating. Our hands roamed each other excitedly. I hooked my foot in his trousers and kicked them off of him, eager for the teasing to be over. I wanted him, I couldn't wait anymore and by the look on his face, neither could he. He rolled us over so he was on top of me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, hooking my feet together at the ankles and angled my hips up to meet him. He slid into me, eliciting a delighted moan from my lips. He stilled, buried inside me, letting me feel him. I panted happily, closing my eyes for a moment to let myself fully enjoy the feeling. When I opened my eyes again, Kol was looking down at me with some deep strange emotion in his dark unreadable eyes. I rested my hands on his shoulders, rocking my hips against his in an attempt to draw some movement from him. He chuckled and remained rigidly still. I groaned, wanting him badly.

"You told me off for teasing!" I reminded him, my voice almost a whine of desperation.

"And you told me that I picked the wrong girl if I wanted nice. That goes both ways darling," he said, voice hushed. He winked at me, an arrogant smirk on his face. I pouted in response.

"Please Kol…" I whispered, gently stroking his cheek trying to coerce him into giving me what I wanted.

"Tell me…" he murmured, taking my hand in his and gently kissing each of the clasped fingers in turn. His smirk had disappeared and his face was warm and full of… well, love. That was the only word I could think of to describe it.

"Tell you what?" I asked, confused.

"Tell me you want me." He said, firmly, his smirk once again restored on his face.

"I want you Kol…" I said softly.

"Louder…" he hissed in my ear, rocking his hips ever so slightly.

"I want you Kol!" I practically screamed the words to the sky above. As I spoke, the world around me seemed to dissolve and fade away. The last thing I saw was Kol's smirking face before it dissolved into blackness.

I opened my eyes, jerking upright, startled. My words from the dream seemed to ring in my ears and echo around the room like they'd been screamed aloud. It took a moment for me to work out where exactly I was and what was going on. I was back in my bed. The sky was still dark outside my window. The covers had been kicked off me and were in a heap at the bottom. My clothes had also inexplicably been shed during the night. My hair was a tangle, my cheeks flushed. I ran my fingers through the knots of my hair, focusing on slowing my frantic breathing and trying to work out what the hell had just happened. I couldn't help my roaming eyes which searched the room, fearful that Kol might loom out at me from the shadows with that devilish smirk on his face. I felt hot tears on my cheeks as I registered the fading buzzing at the back of my mind that signalled the presence of someone else in it. I felt so scared, more scared then I had since I'd woken up on the table. I felt vulnerable, naked in more than just skin. I knew they could talk to me but this was different. They'd broken into my head and made me feel things, think things. Taken control of my body and stripped the little control I had. I hated the very notion of them. I hated what they were doing to me.

I decided to take a bath, wanting to rid myself of the feel of violation and Kol's hands on my skin. One thing that was good about the room and the adjoining bathroom was the massive bathtub so I decided to make the most of it. Had to find those positives wherever I could. I filled the tub with warm water and slipped into it, enjoying the feel of the warm water lapping at my skin. I scrubbed my skin gently with some of the expensive lotions that cluttered the shelves. It was nice to be clean again. I would have loved to wash earlier in the day but the idea of Kol or Klaus peeping in had put me off. Now, after all that, it didn't seem to matter. There was nothing that I could do to stop them, a fact I just had to accept. I sighed and climbed out of the rapidly cooling bath. A sudden chill permeating my bones so I dressed myself in clean pyjamas, the thickest most skin covering ones that I could find and went to my room reluctantly. I felt like the walls were watching me, that people I couldn't see were in every corner. The room, so similar to my own, had been tainted. Even if I got out of here, I'd never be able to look at my room in the same way. I gathered up my bedding and tucked myself in until only my head peeked out. I clutched my pillow tight and squeezed my eyes shut, praying that I wouldn't fall asleep again. I couldn't let them in there again. I wouldn't. But deep down, I knew that eventually I would have to fall asleep. And when that happened, I dreaded to think what they would do.


End file.
